CMAN ON TWO WHEELS

Today was Day 2 of my 500 miles in 5 days plan. I decided to ride up to Richardson, then over to Carrolton, Irving, and Coppell following my old commuting route from when I lived up there.  Once I got to Coppell, I did a loop around the airport before heading towards home and White Rock Lake for some lake loops to round out my 100 miles. Unfortunately, the ride was a beating.  Between all the stop signs, red lights, rough roads, and the wind, it was really hard to get a good rhythm going.  I could really feel all the stopping and starting and bumps in the road sapping the energy out of me.  And, coupled with the slower pace, I really just wanted to just finish the ride.  But, I finished it and don't hate my bike. :) On a different note, I also took along the seat bag I'm planning to use for the trip to VA.  I loaded it up with my tent, sleeping pad, a couple extra footprints, and my normal saddlebag (with tubes and CO2 cartridges).  All told, ...

(bikes get to rest at rest stops too) A few weeks ago, I rode 300 miles in 3 days to see how I would react to it.  I had also been planning to do 500 miles in 5 days and today was the first day.  Basically, I want to see if I can really ride 100-125 miles a day - day after day like I'll need to when I ride to VA in June.  I want to do that before I truly commit to the trip and before buying any last supplies and gear I'll need. Well, today went well.  I started out with a local group and rode with them for 15-20 miles before turning off and continuing out to Wilmer, Lancaster, Ferris, and back again.  All in all, I got 105 miles in and I feel pretty good.  I was able to ride at the pace and effort I wanted for the entire ride and honestly really enjoyed the ride.  So, I'd say these 5 days are off to a good start.

This weekend has been a wash with regards to rides.  But, I did get a good deal on some gear for my trip. I was originally planning to get a 100 miles in Saturday and about 40 or 50 today.  But, I've been feeling kinda "off" all week long.  Just tired and run down.  I don't really think it's due to the amount of riding I've been do, but rather something else. Still, I'm encouraged by the rides last weekend and the 300 miles in 3 days I did a couple weeks ago.  This week, starting Thursday, I'm planning 500 miles in 5 days.  That'll be my last "test" of how the body reacts to so many miles day after day.  I am really happy with how I felt when I did 300 in 3 days a couple weeks ago and I'm hoping 500 in 5 will just be an extension of that.  If it is, the trip is a definite "go"! With regards to gear, REI had their Garage Sale this weekend starting Friday.  I was lucky enough to be there when they opened on Friday and wa...

Took it easy today, just spun the legs, and enjoyed the weather and lake.  I'm very lucky to have such a nice place to ride.

Four of us headed out with the normal 7 O'Clock ride this morning and split off 25-30 miles in.  The goal?  100+ miles today on some new roads that we haven't ridden on before. It was a great ride!  But...we never slowed down!!!  As Josh put it, "didn't let up on the gas." Normally, the 7 O'Clock ride in a good, solid pace (endurance to tempo and harder at times).  That's fine and dandy - for 50-60 miles.  And, it was fine up till we split off from them.  But, after we split off, we never slowed down to a more reasonable pace given the distance we were planning on covering.  And, there were only 4 of us to share the load. Well, over the course of 108 miles, I had an average speed of just under 20 mph (including stops and the ride to/from the ride start from my house at a slower pace).  That's fast enough and all, but when you take into account we fought the wind for 55-60 miles of the ride and my bike computer doesn't stop recording whe...

Well, as I eluded to the other night, last night was to be a threshold test.  I've been riding a lot, dropped some weight, and the legs have been feeling stronger.  That combined with some efforts during the rides I've done, I figured my threshold might have moved a little. For those not familiar with threshold and what all this means.  Think of it as you would Max Heart Rate and training using that (like, maybe, running, I guess).  Basically, I have a device on my bike (a power meter) that measures how hard I'm pedaling, in watts.  Cars measure horsepower, cyclists use watts. Just like you can determine your max heart rate (and, even, threshold heart rate) based on some efforts, you can do the same with a power meter to determine threshold power.  I then use that information to set up training zones (also like using your heart rate).  With these training zones, I am able to better structure my training for racing, for building endurance to rid...

Decided to join the Wild Bill 6:06 ride. Was a good ride and the legs felt real good.  Put in some good efforts (at appropriate times). Gotta threshold test tomorrow. 

I decided before last week's 300 miles in 3 days that this week would be a "rest week".  Basically, what that entails is a couple easy, "chill" rides, and a 2-2.5 hour endurance ride on Saturday. Today, I took the Tarmac out since it was feeling neglected and spun around the lake. It was a nice day out there.  Low to mid 80's and mostly sunny.  Sure, there was a lot of wind, but I didn't mind. The legs felt fine, just need to build up them saddle muscles. Not sure if I'll be riding tomorrow or wait till Thursday.  Kinda depends on incoming company.

https://www.strava.com/activities/923952769 Got it!  Turned over 300.2 miles in 3 days. We started out with the 7:15 O'Clock group and split to go long about 25-30 miles in.  They started off a little fast and I got dropped on the McKenzie hills and ended up chasing for 13 miles.  I almost caught the group going long just as they turned in to the 1st rest stop. After the rest stop, they "convinced" me to continue with them instead of turning off (I was afraid there would be hills and I wouldn't be able to keep up).  Peer pressure is a b*tch. Anyways, it turned out alright. Some of the group going long.