The Quest for Improvements

Since the return of my passion for cycling over the last couple of years I have found that I have a different perspective on many things. Some of this I attribute to age and wisdom, but clearly some of it has come from simply being away for awhile and coming back. It isn't like I started over, but I think with many things, you reacquiant with certain topics and some you just look at differently either due to new factual information that is available or from different personal experiences.

I am finding that I am approaching many things much differently and much of this is due to my life changes over recent years. I have a "real job" since returning to cycling, and in fact, it was that "real job" that helped to push my away from the bike 7 years ago. I also am a father now and that takes precedence over anything else in my life. ANYTHING...period.

So it is with these two priorities that I have returned to cycling with an adjusted attitude, adjusted priorities, adjust goals and everything that goes with that. If nothing else, it has made me a better cyclist in many ways because it has forced me to become efficient with my time. It is a priority in my daily life and not a recreational activity that I pursue as a hobby. It is a part of me and who I am and it makes me a better person (that is a whole different story for a different blog).

The single most common concept that I think about regarding cycling is simply "how can I maximize my fitness and enjoyment with a minimal amount of time." I have evolved in this regard and my plan continues to evolve as I find efficencies and incorporate them into my daily routines.

What is interesting is that I think I am able to do as much and sometimes more than I was 10 years ago simply from better time utilization. In the warmer months, I get up before "the ass-crack of dawn" (as my friend Doug calls it) and I am on the bike just before twilight. I can get in 2 hours before going into work. This is time that is mine and does not infringe on anything else in my life. In the colder months, I become highly organized and shift the schedule such that I do workouts in the gym during my lunch hour and I commute to and from work each day. It doesn't provide the same volume as the warmer months, but it is enough to maintain the muscle memory, stay flexible and maintain some aerobic fitness that my longer 2.5 to 4 hour weekend rides provide.

Another efficiency that has helped tremendously is that I stopped coaching myself. I am being coached by Carmichael Training Systems in their "classic" program which is mostly web-based. I provide some self-administered test data in the form of time, HR, power and RPE over a fixed-distance course. I also answer a detailed questionnaire and they build a program with a schedule that I can follow on the web. Each month, there is a review process and every other month there is another "field test" that is done to update the training data as well as to track progress for adjustments to the training schedule. I can't say enough positive things about this and how much it has helped me. This, in addition to the purchase of a power meter have been the two most valuable and important purchases I have ever made with regard to maximizing training. I would wholeheartedly recommend both to anyone that wants to become a better rider.

And perhaps the single most important factor in all this is that I am the luckiest man on earth to have the unending support of my wife. She encourages me, she picks me up when I am feeling down and she supports all that I do. She sees the effects that cycling has on me and my personality. She has seen me at my worst when I was physically unfit, under high stress and just generally an unhappy person. She likes this "version" of me much better and in many ways this version is better than the former version than when I "used to be a cyclist".

I think the difference is that I can look back and see from where I have come, the obstacles I have encountered, the loss of my passion for the sport and my renewed passion and return. The difference is that I can truly appreciate what I have and where I am BECAUSE I can see the path of how I got here.

Biggest Week Yet...

So this past week was the hardest week yet on the CTS program. Not only did the volume go up after the previous week's Field Test, but the intensity went up quite a jump as well.

This marks the transition into the "Specialization Period" of the program. I was surprised that the previous period, "Preparation Period" was as short as it was. So far, each period has been 8 weeks in duration, exactly the time between Field Tests.
Here is a screenshot of last week with the prescribed workouts and the actuals...

CTS Field Test Data

Ah, the CTS Field Test...seven minutes of pain...three miles of suffering...a 3 mile test of power and stamina.

Here is a peek into what my most recent CTS field test looked like from my power meter...

The legend is on the left and the right and it is color-coded. HR is the top line. Speed is below that, then cadence, with the power graph at the bottom.

Test 1 of 2



Test 2 of 2

Carmichael Field Test #3

Yesterday was the next installment of the dreaded "CTS Field Test". Carmichael has athletes do them on a schedule of every 8 weeks. The test, combined with an extensive, but not exhaustive, questionaire determines the workouts and schedule over the next 4 weeks.

These are essentially TWO back-to-back 3 mile time trials, with an RPE of 10, meaning that you go as hard as you possibly can for 3 miles with the goal to be finishing it in the fastest possible time.

We have a course setup on Lafayette Road with the start line just north of SR-267 and the finish line being just before the first overpass on I-65. It is exactly 3 miles and marked with yellow lines and finishing countdowns every 1/10 mile for the last 1/2 mile.

I am more than pleased with yesterday's results as I saw improvements across the board in time, HR, consistency within the effort and most importantly, power (watts).

Here is the raw data taken from my training log on the CTS website:
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Field Test Results for Mar 25 2007

Conditions
Course : Cycling (Road)
Terrain : Flat
Wind : Breezy (5-15 mph)
Humidity : 0.71
Temperature: Warm (60-80 F)
Weight : 219.0lbs

Interval 1

Elapsed Time : 00:06:33
Distance : 3.0Miles
Average Speed : 27.7mph
Max Speed : 30.0mph
Average BPM : 184
Average Power : 439
Maximum BPM : 188
Maximum Power : 711
Average Cadence : 90
Perceived Exertion: 9 - very difficult

Interval 2

Elapsed Time : 00:06:35
Distance : 3.0Miles
Average Speed : 27.6mph
Max Speed : 29.9mph
Average BPM : 183
Average Power : 411
Maximum BPM : 187
Maximum Power : 703
Average Cadence : 85
Perceived Exertion: 9 - very difficult

Comments:I felt like this was a great ride. I was turning gears at speeds I haven't done in a long time. The wind was a "non-factor" in that I thought I'd get a bit of a push from a tail wind, but the wind shifted while I was on my way to the course warming up. As it turned out the wind was off my hip at about 8 o'clock for the duration - not quite a tailwind and not quite a crosswind. I used the 53x14 in the first half of the first test and switched to the 13 in the latter half. For the second test, I actually used the 12 in the last half and while it took a minute or so, I got "on top of it" and was able to turn it over at 85-87 rpm.

I see some significant gains across the board in time, speed, HR and power. I feel recovered and am going to ramp it up a bit more for the next cycle by asking for more intensity during the review. I am stoked.
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Now, I just need to get my Zipp 808's and some decent clip-on bars...first Time-Trial race is in 2 weeks.

All for now....