Anybody else not ready?

[flydhest]

So, my team's list serve is filling up with discussions of races that are on BikeReg and such. End of February even, definitely in March. My daughter just turned one month today. I have spent December and January cooking to make sure my wife is well fed. Of course, I have to do frequent quality control. The winter has sucked and the choice between the trainer and just looking at my daughter . . . well, you can guess how that ends up.

Anyone else not ready for the race season to start?

[zap]

We'll ride sweep together.

What sucks is that what used to be done in the big ring now hurts in the tiny one.

Oh it more than sucks but well, it's only cycling.

Time to purchase a porsche turbo and say the hell with it but then who wants to get fat.

We'll ride sweep with something else in the water bottle and lol.

[Rada]

Thought this was an end of the world post.

[false_Aest]

http://zombiecycling.blogspot.com/

First Road Race was last Saturday.

I didn't ride yesterday or today.

I ate 3 cookies and a burrito for lunch.

[TAW]

http://zombiecycling.blogspot.com/

First Road Race was last Saturday.

I didn't ride yesterday or today.

I ate 3 cookies and a burrito for lunch.

You and I have at least this much in common. I didn't ride outside yesterday or today, and I did have some cookies for lunch. Not ready either, but won't have a race for quite a while.

[Fixed]

bro
ah the bike racer
and the monk
have a lot in common

best of luck
i am just trying to ride for
an hour a day
cheers
imho

[Ti Designs]

I got in 600 base miles in January (I rode in 2 blizzards) plus another 20 hours of indoor riding and 9 gym workouts with two weight increases. I'm down 10 pounds with a final target of 12 pounds. It's all still base mileage, even my climbing is mostly held to zone 3, but I'm getting faster - and I was voted best legs at my gym again

Problem is, I'm not racing. The riders on the Harvard team vanished in December. At last night's indoor session only one showed up. I'm guessing they're not riding. So my condition means nothing, my riders aren't ready. But they will be - they fear what I can do to them on the bike!

[avalonracing]

I whined for years about how the racing in the mid-Atlantic starts too early. You have to start training in December and everyone is jumping out of their skin just to race in lousy conditions in February and March. By June people are starting to burn out and by late summer races don't even fill up. Then in September when whether conditions are perfect and everyone could be fit going into the Fall no one wants anything to do with bike racing.

Just think about it, if the racing season was pushed back 6 weeks you wouldn't have to do base miles in 25ºF weather, you wouldn't have to spend as much time on the trainer and you'd get to race in better condition.

Oh well, it will never happen as promoters want to get their races early on the schedule and there is always a contingency of "Christmas Stars" (the guys who are burned out in June) waiting to register.

That said, don't worry about being undertrained. Take your time, train properly and peak when everyone else is starting to fall apart.

[giverdada]

i just started training this january at the place where my wife trains, using wattage trainers. outside and at-home rides are entirely by feel, but i've been recommended to do all base mileage/base time in zone two, something that would 'take hours to burn out'. as you can imagine, this is all in some pretty low gearing with a lot of 'visualization'. i visualize the race i placed last in last year (including getting lapped by the 16-year-old who won (he only lapped me once, and barely...)). i visualize being able to shave my legs again. i visualize rides with my dad on the back roads. i visualize the pink bike with gears we're getting for our soon to be six-year-old. and now i'm visualizing getting the children to bed before i lose it. time to get on the trainer again...

[Fixed]

I got in 600 base miles in January (I rode in 2 blizzards) plus another 20 hours of indoor riding and 9 gym workouts with two weight increases. I'm down 10 pounds with a final target of 12 pounds. It's all still base mileage, even my climbing is mostly held to zone 3, but I'm getting faster - and I was voted best legs at my gym again

Problem is, I'm not racing. The riders on the Harvard team vanished in December. At last night's indoor session only one showed up. I'm guessing they're not riding. So my condition means nothing, my riders aren't ready. But they will be - they fear what I can do to them on the bike!


so i am dumb ass and i am not trying to be mean
but with all the training why so much extra weight?
on a smart cat like you
bad diet ( cokes hamburgers sweets ?)
the yo yo thing is not good for you
i can see 5 pounds in the off season
but more than that says something else
imho cheers

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I'm about as ready as I can be. First race for me in over 23 years next Sunday.

Been training well, riding just shy of 800 miles last month. We'll see how it goes.

[gearguywb]

Bought a computrainer and have been hitting it hard since Nov 1st. Last weekend did a crit on Saturday and a mountain bike marathon race Sunday. Please with the results from both. It is going to be a good year after not racing much the last couple.

[jghall]

Fly,
You did the right thing. There will always be a race aound, your little princess as you will come to know, grows extremly fast! Precious times!

[Ti Designs]

so i am dumb ass and i am not trying to be mean
but with all the training why so much extra weight?
on a smart cat like you
bad diet ( cokes hamburgers sweets ?)
the yo yo thing is not good for you
i can see 5 pounds in the off season
but more than that says something else
imho cheers

It's the return to being a true climber, if I can swing it. Last winter I trained hard, did all my base mileage, lost a few pounds in the winter... I came into the season thinking I would show good climbing form, but I've been too much of a flat speed guy over the past few years and I returned to that by mid season. This year the goal is to climb with some of the best in the country, which means I may need to give up some of that flat speed - I'm OK with that. When I last did Mt Washington I was 125 pounds. Now I'm closing in on 145...

[fatallightning]

first race is march 5th, but im pretty much using these as builds. not looking to get my first peak until track season opens up in may. never stopped riding through winter, did drop in intensity though. so starting to roll straight into intervals now.need to lose about 6 pounds to get back to race weight.

[Fixed]

It's the return to being a true climber, if I can swing it. Last winter I trained hard, did all my base mileage, lost a few pounds in the winter... I came into the season thinking I would show good climbing form, but I've been too much of a flat speed guy over the past few years and I returned to that by mid season. This year the goal is to climb with some of the best in the country, which means I may need to give up some of that flat speed - I'm OK with that. When I last did Mt Washington I was 125 pounds. Now I'm closing in on 145... ok i dig
good luck with your dream go for it bro
cheers

[thendenjeck]

so not ready and pretty bummed about it.

[flydhest]

I have to say that it could be worse. Last year, for a variety of reasons, I was in a similar situation. My team's spring camp (late March, I think) was an embarrassment for me for a host of reasons. Started doing intervals two mornings a week and hitting the team rides on weekend. I only ended up with 4 races last year, but was happy to have mattered in each of them. Took a top ten and, more importantly from my perspective, was able to control the field to work with teammates. These days, I get a fair amount of satisfaction from getting the fitness to the point where I can cover attacks and "matter" in the race, if you know what I mean. I guess I don't so much care about winning, but I want it to be the case that I played some role in the way the race unfolds.

[CPP]

Very not ready! I'm talking 5lbs of__ in a 3lb bag! I still have two months though.

[old fat man]

i've got plenty of time. the only race season that matters starts in september. the rest is all just training.

[jonnyBgood]

Well...I'm in the same boat. I had a good cyclocross season then my wife had our second little boy, he is 8 weeks old tomorrow and since his birth between family visiting and just helping her out haven't been on the bike as much as I need.
On top of that the weather here has been super cold, for Denver. We have had days in the single digits and last week had a few days that the high was ZERO. Yesterday woke up to eight inches of snow to shovel off the driveway and sidewalks and tomorrow and Wednesday it's supposed to be 15 and 22 degree.

Guess I'll have to get on the rollers tonight since I haven't been on the bike for a week. :crap:

[mnoble485]

http://zombiecycling.blogspot.com/

First Road Race was last Saturday.

I didn't ride yesterday or today.

I ate 3 cookies and a burrito for lunch.
Read the blog...very,very good. I will check back for more.

Mike

[swt]

It's spring somewhere? Thanks for renewing my hope.

[Pete Serotta]

and we had a nice 33 miler. I hope Raleigh comes back to their normal winter soon so I can get some base miles. A group is meeting in PASO ROBLES CA in mid APRIL and I already have the ticket and reservations, so I do not want to look too much like a turtle there..... It is such a beautiful area of Ca.

PETE

[jonnyBgood]

Well I actually got on the rollers last night for a hour and a half. It took me 25 minutes just to get in the grove but was able to really ramp it up.

Of course I wake up again this morning to shovel 8 more inches of snow off the driveway and sidewalks. :crap:

[false_Aest]

2x20s last night on the trainer because I was too lazy to get out and ride in the morning.

Race #2 of 2011 is Sunday.

I will be slow.
I will be fodder.
I will be slow.
I will be fodder.
I will be slow.
I will be fodder.
I will be slow.
I will be fodder.
I will be slow.
I will be fodder.

repeat.

[Ti Designs]

I missed my workout this morning - does that make anybody feel better?

[Likes2ridefar]

I did too but I still commuted to work and will do it this evening :no: