The race within

 
It's Monday morning…

 

Still a little tired Legs are sore.  Tough race on Saturday…

 

So… let's go back a bit.

 

Sunday ended a Six day block of training.

 

Tuesday was an easy 80 minutes of tempo riding…  and without a Spin class to tech was a nice gentle start.

 

Wednesday was challenging but doable:

 

On Thursday I still felt powerful and energetic after teaching spin at lunchtime

 

 

Friday morning I had a hard time getting started but did just fine

 

 

 

Saturday was "The Race Simulation"

 

I felt I had something to prove…  I can push myself when I have to..  I can put a hurting on myself when I'm out to put a hurting on the group but…  can I push myself that hard solo…  in training?

 

It was a race within my own head.

 

The Rx:

race sim solo ride

 

lots of jumps and bursts and short hard efforts

 

a few 5-10' efforts that are mock breakaway attempts....like the BSST intervals but a bit shorter.

 

add some easy spinning and rest just like in a race. This should be a WELCOME relief and awesome change to rest and recover that I don't allow you during all your other training, so make the most of it and recover, get HR down and get ready to GO AGAIN

 

The route was down the coast on A1A to St Augustine and back…  easy..  simple

The first 12 minutes were steady but neutral…  stop signs etc…  then a couple of accelerations.

 

About 30 minutes in did a series of longer attacks 2-3 minutes followed by 5 or 6 ~1-1.5 minute efforts.  I made a mistake in trying to add a 2-3 mile loop in Vilano Beach (1:07ish) ran into stop signs and a dead end.

 

Over the bridge in to St Augustine, turn around, back over the bridge into a 20mph headwind.

 

On the way back I had a ¾ 20mph headwind.  I did a few shorter efforts but I was getting tired.  Decided to just ramp up fast to faster tempo and finish with a sprint.  The "finish line" was the finish line for the local "Thursday night Worlds" ride and even has 200m to go marked off.  So, I jumped at the mark and dig for the line…  not the best or most powerful of sprints after flogging myself for 2.5 hours but it did empty the tank.  From 2:30 to the end I just soft pedaled.

 

Sunday:

 

 

70F and sunny…  rode in the afternoon with my wife.  Old Blue Steel mush have a dead battery in the speed/cadence sensor… Knee a bit tight… I had a flat 20 minutes in…  realized I had no tire iron…  changed the flat with an Allen wrench and my car key…  cut it short.

 

So…  Now it's Monday and I've done some mobility work to loosen my knee…  rolled out my quads a bit and I feel a bit better.