The Workout O' Death

[Tom]

Too dark and cold to do any quality work outdoors. So here's what my idle mind concocts.

Get the profile chart for Mont Ventoux. Calculate the wattage needed to go up each km's grade at x mph. Figure out how long each km'll take at that wattage. Convert wattage to speed on the trainer.

Ride the trainer at that intensity. My goal? Ventoux in 72 minutes by the end of the winter. I'll tell you how it goes...

[Kevin]

I wouldn't stand a chance. Could you send me the wattage chart for going down Mont Ventoux in 72 minutes? I think I could do that.

Kevin

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . the “Workout O’ Death” was anytime you go for a ride with me?? . . .

And what’s the deal? I thought you were out of town all week! Is this just yet ANOTHER flimsy canard concocted to avoid talking to me and/or riding????

And to think, I fell for it!

BBDave

[Kevan]

the trainer to the house and you have lights for the evening.

[Bruce K]

BBD;

With verbiage such as canard and concocted, and given your predilection for flambouyant coture, it would seem a veritable certainty that Tom would eschew a sojourn along bucolic byways chasing your butt.

BTW, how far are you from the Northampton, MA area (drive-wise)? Are you free on Sunday the 14th? There is a chance I may be going out the the cross race that day. If so, are you up for pit crew and coffee?

BK

[Sandy]

"Workout O' Death" You only do it once, so how bad can it be??


Sandy

[Sandy]

You could really get a better workout and make money at the same time-
Hook up your Serotta to your house and pull it to a more affluent neighborhood, where real estate values are higher.

Just where in Westchester County do you live, buddy? It's a long haul, but just think what my tent will be worth sitting in front of your home!!

Location, location, location.....


Loco Sandy

If you want to plug another death ride into your trainer, here's one for you. We have a hill that I try to do once at the end of every season. Marin Street from the Marin Circle to Grizzly Peak is a 190 meter climb in 1.5 km distance. The steepest block (just above Euclid) is close to a 30% grade. Trying to do this with only a double chainring and a 12-27 cassette is near impossible. My heart usually feels like its about to explode by the end.

Here's a link that talks about the ride and an except below.

http://www.inl.org/bicycle/deathride.html

Marin is simply ridiculous; one advantage of doing it first is that all the rest of the hills will look easy by comparison. The main disadvantage is that it could kill you before you get a chance at any of the other hills. I plan to ride it as slowly as I possibly can, and I recommend you do as well. It crosses a number of quiet streets, which people often use as an opportunity to rest without getting off the bike; just turn down the side street and coast for a while as your heart rate comes back under your anaerobic threshold.

The first block is rather steep, perhaps a 14% grade. After that it eases up for 3 blocks, hanging at around 10% until the block before Spruce. That block is again above 15%, and it looks a little like it might be the road's peak--it's so steep you can't see the road above it.

Of course, it's not the peak. Crossing Spruce gives you a little break (remember to take advantage of CVC 57492.1: "the right-of-way must be yielded to people in extreme pain"), and then the next couple blocks again aren't quite so bad. Then the block before Euclid is pretty nasty, pushing 20% grade, but really it's just letting you know that you're about to begin the hard part.

Past Euclid is where the road gets really absurd. The average grade from Euclid to Grizzly Peak is 22%, but that includes the flat intersections. Actual riding is closer to 25%, and that first block is probably near 30%. I don't care how low your gears are, or how light your bike is; either you have the leg strength and aerobic capacity to ride up this hill, or you don't. Good friggin' luck.

I'm not worthy... I'm not saying it's not difficult, and maybe I couldn't do it now, 30 yrs. later. But I seem to remember that that was my daily break from writing my dissertation. Straight up from my apartment on Virginia, and a great run down Claremont Ave. Maybe starting from Virginia is easier than from Marin Circle?

[jeffg]

Originally Posted by Tom

Too dark and cold to do any quality work outdoors. So here's what my idle mind concocts.

Get the profile chart for Mont Ventoux. Calculate the wattage needed to go up each km's grade at x mph. Figure out how long each km'll take at that wattage. Convert wattage to speed on the trainer.

Ride the trainer at that intensity. My goal? Ventoux in 72 minutes by the end of the winter. I'll tell you how it goes...

Tom --I have programmed Ventoux into my Cardgirus, though I believe it is somewhat easier on the trainer than the real thing. In general, I do not turn to such "climbs" until base is over, and then I normally ride those at a tempo/aerobic power pace rather than at a TT-like pace. I find that intervals of that length are generally better suited to tempo pace (unless you are training for an uphill TT that takes at least an hour).

What I find really helpful is putting several climbs that take between 40 minutes and 1:20 more or less back to back (with a short descent/spin in between each one) and that gets me as close to "hill-equivalent work" that I can find when the hills are snowed in. My record so far is about a 5:00 session. That, for me, is the workout of death. May yours be as fulfilling as an indoor workout gets!

You rode your indoor trainer for FIVE HOURS STRAIGHT?!?!?!

[jeffg]

Originally Posted by JohnS

You rode your indoor trainer for FIVE HOURS STRAIGHT?!?!?!

I did, though I am not sure whether my wife would be justified in committing me on this basis ...

[BumbleBeeDave]

This man has some obvious, very serious ISSUES!

BBDave

[Kevan]

the workout o' death myself, it's called Spinning. For 3 months I've been away from that steamy studio of lousy, clunky stationary bikes. First time on this Monday, the music was bad, the air was bad, the bike was bad... death couldn't be too far from me.

On a side note, the editor (past/present/who knows?) of Bicycling wrote sometime back, in his catchy editorial which is supposed to grab us sky monkees, that he had decided that he would complete a century mile ride every month of the year. Actually, I think he might of said once every week he would perform the task in order to prove his dedication/obsession to all things cycling. That's a good editor, such dedication. Anyway, his solution during the colder months in Pennsylvania was to head down to his basement say around 3:00AM and jump on his bike in order to complete the distance and get himself to the office in time. Now that to me is a workout o' death, doing 5 hours on a bike when instead he could of been in bed dreaming about Sandy wearing short shorts.

[vaxn8r]

Originally Posted by jeffg

My record so far is about a 5:00 session. That, for me, is the workout of death. May yours be as fulfilling as an indoor workout gets!

Yes, Jeffg. We are all in awe. Wondering if you need Cialis now....