Well, the mountain bike racing season has not yet started for me, but the bicycle racing season has.  I feel pretty good having 3 races under my belt before my first mountain bike race.  I did 3 road criteriums, and boy are they differecnt than a mountain bike race.

In the first race, It took me only 2 laps to lag in a corner and I was off the back. I ended up getting lapped, probably twice. It was slightly embarassing.  I considered ending my road career right then and there.  But I came back the next week and gave it another shot. The second week I hung on for the first 4 laps, but another corner error cost me big. I got cut off and grabbed a bit too much rear brake, and I was off the back again. On the positive side, when the pack came back around, I hung with them for the remainder of the race (15 laps total). I still stunk it up, but I felt better about my effort.  On my third crit, I managed to hang with the pack for the entire race. I even managed to participate in the sprints, even though I got no points. After that I was thinking that maybe I could do this road racing thing after all.

I may do another road race on April 11 before my first dirt race April 19. You just can't beat the workout you get in a race compared to riding solo or with friends. Will it pay off? We'll find out soon enough.

Well, I am firmly below my 180 weight plateau, and right at 179.  From here out, the weight should come off easier. Another plus, we are starting to get some 50 deg F days here in PA, and riding outside a bit more often is a go.  On my first ride outside in a while(Sunday, 1/31), I felt strong than I did at the end of the season last year, so I think I am on the right track. This weekend will be the telltale. I will do my normal 25 mile road loop with the GPS and HR recorder, and see what the true "tale of the tape" is.

I'll post the data Monday.

The last couple weeks have seen me re-dedicate myself to my diet and nutrition program. I can sense the season approaching, and want to get the weight off before I really start the intervals/VO2 max efforts and long outdoor rides, as I want to be able to load up with calories when the workload increases. Getting the weight off now rather than later seems the way to go. It's hard to train without lots of carbs for fuel.  At the same time, I'm trying to go into the season fresh, so I don't start off smoking fast, and peak too early.

Right now I am 'stuck' at 180, just like last year. The good thing is, I am starting my training and nutrition much earlier.  It took some effort to get past 180, and then the weight dropped off pretty easily.   I'd like to go into March at around 175, and April at right around 170. The lowest I saw my weight go last year (my first year racing) was 172, and the difference was noticeable. I'm not sure what my lowest healthy weight without losing power will be, but  I'd guess it is right around 165.

Overall, my mood is not the greatest. I don't like being cooped up on the trainer watching TV and cycling videos. Sitting there and cranking off miles, going nowhere, is just awful.  On the plus side, I feel much more powerful than I did at the end of last season. I think I am training harder, and resting harder and smarter, which I needed to learn  to do.  The plus is, once I am able to ride outside, I will probably be ripping it up like never before, as I will be so psyched to hit the open trails and roads.  I just need 2 days in the 50's in the next few weeks to let me ride outside, and get me through mentally, and I'll be golden.

The 2009 race calendar has come together nicely. I may add a race and skip a race here or there, but this list is my goal.

April 19 - Bike Line Race - Fair Hill, MD
April 26 - Greenbrier Challenge  -  MD
May 3    -  Michaux Maximus -  PA
May 25  - PSU Harrisburg Criterium - PA
May 31  - Iron Hill Challence - Iron Hill Park, DE
June 7  -  Massanutten Hoo-Ha - VA  (US Kenda Cup East)
June 21 - Guy's Neshaminy XC Classic - Neshaminy HS, PA
July 5     -  Long Pine Classic - Michaux Stats Forest, PA (tentative)
July 12  -  Bulldog Rump  -  NJ
July 19  -  The Curse of Dark Hollow -  PA
August 8-9 - United States Cup, Mt Snow  -  VT  (US Kenda Cup East)
                          or
August 15-16 - Unites States Cup, Windham  -  NY   (US Kenda Cup East)
September 13 - The Terror of Teaberry


USACYCLING EVENT
MICHAUX ENDURANCE SERIES
Mid Atlantic Super Series
ROAD RACE

Well, the weight room was OK, but now the real work begins. I'm not sure how much my work in the weight room will pay off, but we'll see.  I have never been one for lugging iron around. From here on out it's going to be core exercises, crunches, and push-ups instead of the weights.

I have done a few interval sessions, and feel pretty good about my perceived power output. I don't feel like I've lost a whole lot since last year.  Here is the HR chart from my most recent session. This was using the Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) Mountain Bike Racing DVD and the Oregon Scientific HR Recorder.






For recovery I picked up a handheld heated massager. I figured it would make the soreness a bit more manageable, and so far, so good. It does seem to help.  That's it for now.  Ride hard!

 

I have been running Time ATAC Alium pedals for a while now, and the non-drive side pedal started acting up. It worked fine, but if I spun it with my hand it would make a buzzing sound, which I'm sure is not a good thing. I got out the wrenches and dove in.

The first thing to do is take off the plastic end cap. This uses an rather big allen key on the older models,like mine. The new models seem to have a bunch of holes requiring a special tool. Why would Time do this? I guess they weren't selling enough pedals when they were so easy to service? Anyway, take off the plastic cap, which exposes the lock nut. The plastic cap also serves to snug the pedal up to the weather seal on the other side of the alxe (the crank arm side).

Now, get your 6mm socket and take off the lock nut. You will need to replace the locking nut. You can get them cheaply at home depot. It is simply an M6 lock nut. On removing the lock nut I discovered the source of the buzzing. The nut threads had partially stripped, and the stripped thread bits were loose in the pedal, and were interfering with the smooth operation of the bushing.

At this point you can pull the pedal off the axle. Make sure to note the orientation of the seal on the crank arm side so you can put it back correctly. You should be able to get to the cartridge bearing with a firm tap on a hard surface. It will just fall out. Clean everything out with a rag and inspect. Get any dirt or metal shavings out of the pedal to prevent wear. Also, clean up the weather seal and maybe hit it with a couple drops of oil.

Now you can apply some grease to the axle and slide the pedal back into place with the weather seal in position. Don't go overboard on the grease. Just enough to coat the bushing should be fine. Put the cartridge bearing back into place, and then start to thread your new M6 lock nut. Tighten it only until it stops. You will feel some tension as it "locks" and then it stops cold. Do not go past this point or it will strip!

At this point the pedal will still feel loose and have lots of side to side play. Don't worry! I stripped several lock nuts trying to get rid of the play and nearly ruined a weather seal. This play goes away when you put the plastic cap on and screw it back into place. It pushes the pedal against the seal and takes out all of the play.

Now enjoy your smooth as silk pedal for another season!

If you need parts, try:

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=list&Category=467&type=T

Email me if you have a question.

After 3 weeks in the gym, I can say that the daily soreness is subsiding.  I suppose this means that I have started to adapt to the weights and my body is responding. This week I started increasing the weight and decreasing the reps, since I felt that I now have a bit of a base to start to build on. I am doing 5-8 reps of each exercise, for 4 sets.  Currently here is the weight for a few of my exercises:

Bench - 140 lb.
Curls - 70 lb.
Leg Press - 360 lb.
Hamstring curls - 80 lb.
Calf Raises - 200 lb.

I am also doing ab work, back, torso, bar dips, and pull-ups.

On the heart rate front, I have recalculated my zones based on a max HR of 186 bpm. The new zones do seem to make more sense, as my perceived level of exertion in my old zones seemed a bit too low.  Now when I get toward the top of zone 2 (base), I actually feel like I am doing something.


Max Rate - 186 bpm

Zone 1 -  112-121  - recovery
Zone 2 -  121-130  - base
Zone 3 -  130-149  - aerobic capacity
Zone 4 -  149-158  - lactate threshold
Zone 5 -  159+     - increase VO2 max

As I get into interval training in mid-January I will post lots of HR charts. Right now they would be pretty flat and not tell a whole lot, as most of my riding on the trainer for now is just Zone 1 and 2 for base. Also, my computer gave me the "Blue Screen of Death" last night, so I have that problem to solve now as well.
 

So I decided to go into this training season with a bit more of a scientific approach, so I decided on using heart rate in my training. I know.... I know..... POWER is all the rage, but I don't have that much to invest right now. Plus, I can get on the spin bike at the gym and get a pretty good idea of my power output over various time intervals.  So. I got the Omron heart rate monitor and also ordered an Oregon Scientific heart rate data recorder. That will allow me to record my heart rate data and bring it onto the computer to track my progress.  I'll post some heart rate charts when I get to that point.

So, I figured out my training zones based on my max heart rate of 181bpm :

Zone 1 -  109-118  - recovery
Zone 2 -  118-127  - base
Zone 3 -  127-145  - aerobic capacity
Zone 4 -  145-154  - lactate threshold
Zone 5 -  155+        - increase VO2 max

Starting in a few weeks I will begin some BASE riding in conjunction with the time in the weight room. I don't plan to push it at all for a while on the bike. I am speding time on the treadmill and elliptical, mostly doing aerobic level activity.  So, hopefully when I start intervals in mid-January I will have a good base and my body will be ready for maximum adaptation.

So, here is my diet for the near term. For now, it is higher in protein to help with muscle development and recovery during weight training. As I transition to the bike in January, I will switch to more carbs and a bit less protein. My weight is currently 178, and I hope to race at around 170 next season. After my tremendous weight loss in just a few months last year, I can't see 8 pounds over the winter being a problem. Anyway, here's the diet. I may modify it a bit after I see how my weight goes:

Work-week Diet

Breakfast

Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri

1 Hardboiled egg - 77 calories
Hot tea, unsweetened, w/lemon - 10 calories
Total - 87 calories

Wed

1 Slice Whole wheat toast - 110 Calories
1 Tbsp Jif Crunchy peanut butter - 100 calories
Hot tea, unsweetened, w/lemon - 10 calories
Total - 220 calories

Lunch

M/W/F

1 Hardboiled egg - 77 calories
1 Piece string cheese - 80 calories
4-6 oz cooked chicken breast - approx 200 calories
1 yukon gold potato - 110 calories
or 1 sweet potato - 105 calories
1 apple - 80 calories
Total for lunch - 542 - 547 calories

Tues

1 Large Peach - 60 calories
1 Plum    -  30 calories
1 banana - 121 calories
Fit & Trim Yogurt - 80 calories
1 apple - 80 calories
Total - 371 Calories

Thur

Salad - Lettuce, tomato, broccoli,carrot,
        cheese, mushroom, green/red peppers,
        croutons, lof fat dressing -  210 calories
1 whole wheat roll - 150 calories

Total - 360 calories

Dinner

Whatever the wife makes. Sensible portions, and desert rarely if at all.