3/4/08 commute

Greetings readers,  

Back on the bike again today commuting, after a rest day yesterday. Although I feel physically good, the legs are lead. Like turning anvils on pedals I tell ya.

I track each ride in a spreadsheet, so I can keep tabs on things like mileage, speed, average and elapsed time. It would appear, ladies and germs, I’ve hit a plateau.  

I’ve been through this before me thinks, where the legs just feel like lead for about 2 weeks and I cannot, despite my efforts, seem to improve speed or power. In the past I’ve just had to ride “through” this plateau. And in the past it has always passed. Plateaus are possibly the result of lots of things: extra stress, the body fighting a virus, (that you’re not even aware of) poor sleep cycles, etc. etc. Throw in all the potential variables and the body has to deal with them. Fitness has to be forced on the body, it doesn’t do it on it’s own. The good news is: after this plateau I have progressing to look forward too. I hope! During this time I need to pay attention to my diet and make sure I’m getting enough quality protein to rebuild those muscles I’m tearing down. As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, sleep and good food are a huge part of the battle of training. If I don’t pull out of it within a few weeks, it’s time to cut back on some riding and try to let the body recover. What I don’t want to do is continue to just bull my way thru it, burnout will soon ensue.  

I read an article over the weekend while perusing the 2008 racing calendar. “You cannot expect to ride any faster, or raise your average speed from 14mph to 18mph, if you’re constantly riding at 14mph!” Your body will just adjust to the 14mph speed and you’ll not achieve faster speeds, nor improve your fitness unless you pursue faster speeds. Hmmm, makes sense alright.

I’ve got to make my rides count, and try to focus on that spin, while pushing a little bigger gear and going faster. Keep an eye on the prize Jim. Mush! Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for those low key LSD rides, (Long slow distance) but I need to work hard at going fast too. This is self education: learning how to coach myself, make adjustments based on trial and error, and ultimately improve and compete in cross (At least in my class) and as a cyclist. Learning how to get past these plateaus is part of the evolutionary process. Getting faster isn’t as easy as just riding more. Pay attention Jim, learn something!  

Miles ridden today, 20 

Miles ridden 2008, 528

Paris-Nice

What a shame, can’t we all just gt along? This is a storied race, lots of tradition going back for many moons. With the doping scandals the sport has endured over the recent seasons, this doesn’t help.