For a little entertainment I mapped out the Prescott to Sedona AZ route for RAW/RAAM a few years ago and loaded it onto the CompuTrainer. Because it fit into my training plan I drew up a previous `performance' that I did on this route in 2005 on the DF and raced against myself today.
It wasn't long before I let my `previous' self race ahead of me knowing that I planned to be on the trainer for 2 hours today and probably 4 tomorrow, that I wasn't mashing myself up in training these days like I used to back then, and that my `previous' self was only riding for 1:30:00 hours.
As I/we/me moved into/onto Mingus Mountain, up towards Jerome I started gaining on myself. I always do better on the hills. But so did `me' of 4 years ago, so I never really caught myself.
If I race against myself for a longer period than I set the previous performance the previous `me' continues on at the wattage `me' was doing when `I' stopped the last time. It turned out `me' was doing 322 watts up the mountain at that time four years ago (gulp!).
I laughed outloud when I saw that I was racing against a `me' doing a steady 322 watts. My wife came down, wondering if she was finally going to cash in on my life insurance.
A few minutes later, as we were getting to the top of the route, in the city of Jerome, AZ, the totally wacky feature of DeLorme courses had me climbing a hill with a 45% incline. Of course, the electromagnetic load generator will register inclines only as steep as 15%. Thereafter it just pretended that the other `30%' incline didn't exist. And I was crawling up a 45% hill in my 30x34.
Another loud laugh that had my wife stomping on the upstairs floor to keep me quiet down there in the basement.
Honestly, the workouts on the `virtual' courses are sort of fun and entertaining but in no way are they as challenging as when the C'trainer is set at just ergometer mode. For example, set the resistance at 160 watts and push. Very hard to do for long.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Organizing chaos
One of the more certain aspects about preparing for RAW is that a change in one area of my life affects many other things.
I've been on a rational weight loss program for almost a week now and find that some of the foods I've selected in the program don't agree with me. That is, in my case, they're too `heavy.' I'm not used to so much turkey meat. So, I'll be investigating different options for meeting the Carb/Protein/Fat mix in the diet.
As I increase the number of hours and intensity of the training I need more sleep and rest. One of the pleasures of my work is in spending evenings with couples and other clients. I've always allowed myself to stay later if the therapy process is working well. And this has resulted in getting home later. I try to get up to spend time with Annie, my wife, so I wind up squeezing sleep time out of my schedule. I'll have to be more time-constrained at work because I'm not going to give up the time with Annie.
I often wonder if some of the effects of training have to do with age or just that ... I've not done this kind of training in my younger years. I've ridden dozens of multiday hundred mile and more rides and have run many, many marathons. I recall feeling tired from these events but ... there is that thing that many endurance athletes do: we forget the pain almost immediately after a difficult event.
I do know that I've got to a) limit my work, b) be flexible with my diet, c) be more disciplined about my sleep, d) not take any of the time away from my relationship with my wife and kids and grandkids.
I've been on a rational weight loss program for almost a week now and find that some of the foods I've selected in the program don't agree with me. That is, in my case, they're too `heavy.' I'm not used to so much turkey meat. So, I'll be investigating different options for meeting the Carb/Protein/Fat mix in the diet.
As I increase the number of hours and intensity of the training I need more sleep and rest. One of the pleasures of my work is in spending evenings with couples and other clients. I've always allowed myself to stay later if the therapy process is working well. And this has resulted in getting home later. I try to get up to spend time with Annie, my wife, so I wind up squeezing sleep time out of my schedule. I'll have to be more time-constrained at work because I'm not going to give up the time with Annie.
I often wonder if some of the effects of training have to do with age or just that ... I've not done this kind of training in my younger years. I've ridden dozens of multiday hundred mile and more rides and have run many, many marathons. I recall feeling tired from these events but ... there is that thing that many endurance athletes do: we forget the pain almost immediately after a difficult event.
I do know that I've got to a) limit my work, b) be flexible with my diet, c) be more disciplined about my sleep, d) not take any of the time away from my relationship with my wife and kids and grandkids.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
RAW Goals
1. To finish
2. To finish first in age group.
3. To finish first on a recumbent
4. To finish among the top five.
5. To finish first.
6. To first among all platforms (upright, recumbent, tandem, etc), first among all age groups, first among all solo riders.
2. To finish first in age group.
3. To finish first on a recumbent
4. To finish among the top five.
5. To finish first.
6. To first among all platforms (upright, recumbent, tandem, etc), first among all age groups, first among all solo riders.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Unconscious
Until I was around 55 yrs old I used never to `sleep.' I had two states: wide awake and unconscious.
Then I got old. Mother Nature switched out the `unconscious’ for `more-or-less sleep maybe for 3 hours at a time twice each night.’
Since mid-November I now have three states: wide awake, more-or-less asleep, and unconscious-dead-to-the-world. This blog entry is about regaining `unconsciousness.'
My training has progressed so that I’m spending more time on the bike (indoors, of course) and am slowly ramping up the intensity. Comfortably ensconced in the functional delusion that `age is just a number’ I expected to maybe take a longer than usual (20 minutes) early afternoon nap before I began my workday.
Last week I slept through the 20 minutes and woke up 2 hours later with a slight drool. Over the week I’ve been having stronger and deeper sleeps (aka `unconscious’).
I’m o.k. with that. It makes sense. Just another learning experience.
Then I got old. Mother Nature switched out the `unconscious’ for `more-or-less sleep maybe for 3 hours at a time twice each night.’
Since mid-November I now have three states: wide awake, more-or-less asleep, and unconscious-dead-to-the-world. This blog entry is about regaining `unconsciousness.'
My training has progressed so that I’m spending more time on the bike (indoors, of course) and am slowly ramping up the intensity. Comfortably ensconced in the functional delusion that `age is just a number’ I expected to maybe take a longer than usual (20 minutes) early afternoon nap before I began my workday.
Last week I slept through the 20 minutes and woke up 2 hours later with a slight drool. Over the week I’ve been having stronger and deeper sleeps (aka `unconscious’).
I’m o.k. with that. It makes sense. Just another learning experience.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Trial and Error - Overrated
In my earlier post about "I JUST DON'T LIKE IT" I complained about my preference for beating my head against a brick wall despite the fact that I know that the brick wall will win. This doesn't have a thing to do with old age. It's just been an old unsuccessful and overrated way of doing things that I've developed over a lifetime into an `art form.'
As Forrestt Gump would say: stupid is as stupid does! Meaning what I do may be stupid but I, the person, am not be stupid.
So why have I used my head as a battering ram against bricks?
--- Basic lack of confidendence in myself.
--- Fear of failing.
--- `Manly' drama about being `hard headed' and stubborn.
[O.k., here's a little psychology:
If I physically exhaust and injure myself (just ride thousands of junk miles for hundreds of hours - the UMCA Indoor Challenge!) and (predictably) fail at an event there will be droves of nice people who will soothe me by saying I gave it a `good try.'
BUT if I risk doing a smart thing (periodization training) and still fail to win at an event people will judge me as being `smart' but `just not good enough.'
The `big dumb brute' method at least gets me patts on the back for halfway killing myself as an unguided missile: "Ready! Fire! Aim! :) Lot's of sympathy and drama.]
Sandy Earl (http://community.bikefriday.com/staff/sandyearl) is a 40-something woman (http://triathletediva.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html) who rides the recumbent (http://www.2010raamblog.com/) and has registered to ride the recumbent in the Solo category for RAAM 2010.
She and Larry Graham, Paul Carpenter, John Schlitter and several (several, several, several) other's I've been fortunate enough to meet in person or online are generous to a fault in sharing their `brains over brawn' way of training to win.
I'd first like to thank them here. And, second, I'd strongly urge others of us reading this to follow the links to them to learn how to win, not just place.
- Dan
As Forrestt Gump would say: stupid is as stupid does! Meaning what I do may be stupid but I, the person, am not be stupid.
So why have I used my head as a battering ram against bricks?
--- Basic lack of confidendence in myself.
--- Fear of failing.
--- `Manly' drama about being `hard headed' and stubborn.
[O.k., here's a little psychology:
If I physically exhaust and injure myself (just ride thousands of junk miles for hundreds of hours - the UMCA Indoor Challenge!) and (predictably) fail at an event there will be droves of nice people who will soothe me by saying I gave it a `good try.'
BUT if I risk doing a smart thing (periodization training) and still fail to win at an event people will judge me as being `smart' but `just not good enough.'
The `big dumb brute' method at least gets me patts on the back for halfway killing myself as an unguided missile: "Ready! Fire! Aim! :) Lot's of sympathy and drama.]
Sandy Earl (http://community.bikefriday.com/staff/sandyearl) is a 40-something woman (http://triathletediva.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html) who rides the recumbent (http://www.2010raamblog.com/) and has registered to ride the recumbent in the Solo category for RAAM 2010.
She and Larry Graham, Paul Carpenter, John Schlitter and several (several, several, several) other's I've been fortunate enough to meet in person or online are generous to a fault in sharing their `brains over brawn' way of training to win.
I'd first like to thank them here. And, second, I'd strongly urge others of us reading this to follow the links to them to learn how to win, not just place.
- Dan
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Weight Loss Plan
Plan is to go from 200 lbs to about 175 - 165 lbs from Dec 1st, 2009 to June 1, 2010.
I've posted the diet here:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsQblJfC4sZndDFsQTFDc3U2QkRmTXV6ZmJPMmNzeGc&hl=en
I've posted the diet here:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsQblJfC4sZndDFsQTFDc3U2QkRmTXV6ZmJPMmNzeGc&hl=en
I Just Don't Like It!!!
I just don't like having to read books, articles and training materials about how to become a better cyclist. I'd rather dither, avoid, procrastinate or jump on the bike and ride a lot or ride hard (or ride hard a lot).
Despite my so-called `advanced degrees' and educational pedigree ... I got them / did it pretty much with the hope and expectation that somebody as thick headed and slow minded as me MUST have something on the ball if I could get so many diplomas. I didn't think it would just prove that I'm a slow learner with the mousey hope that instructors would take pity on such a hard-working but reeeeallly not very bright guy (who did all his homework ... even if it was in crayon).
At this point I'm not sorry I got the degrees. But I don't have them because they were things I just picked up along the way as I burned through life in a brilliant intellectual fervor. (Did I spell `fervor' right?)
Nope. I did it to prove to myself and others that I wasn't stupid. (Jury is not only still out but the jury is reported to be MIA!) But, still, the evidence is not quite persuasive to that outcome (especially since I have a hard time getting off the right floor on the elevator of my 3-story office building).
I applied the same blunt-force-trauma approach to bicycling. Until now (dammit!): ride hard and lots and you'll be one of the big dogs.
Well,I AM one of the big dogs now. About 40 lbs bigger than I should be. And, though my DNF's are few I've had more than my share of DFLs (dead f*****g last).
RAW is not the biggest challenge I can think of in cycling. But is big enough to injure my ego (source of all motivation in the land of `Fallon') reeeeallly bad if I do poorly.
So, my doing RAW is not the heroic challenge of doing `the hard' thing that `real men' pursue. It is the fundamental and perpetual insecurity in my own worth that scares me into pulling myself inside out for "one more tiny bit of evidence" that I'm not a lazy, stupid slob.
The whole thing scares the crap out of me. (O.K.! I get it! We're back to the `fear and greed' model of why people do things. And THIS has taken me 64 years to realize?!!!!!!)
Despite my so-called `advanced degrees' and educational pedigree ... I got them / did it pretty much with the hope and expectation that somebody as thick headed and slow minded as me MUST have something on the ball if I could get so many diplomas. I didn't think it would just prove that I'm a slow learner with the mousey hope that instructors would take pity on such a hard-working but reeeeallly not very bright guy (who did all his homework ... even if it was in crayon).
At this point I'm not sorry I got the degrees. But I don't have them because they were things I just picked up along the way as I burned through life in a brilliant intellectual fervor. (Did I spell `fervor' right?)
Nope. I did it to prove to myself and others that I wasn't stupid. (Jury is not only still out but the jury is reported to be MIA!) But, still, the evidence is not quite persuasive to that outcome (especially since I have a hard time getting off the right floor on the elevator of my 3-story office building).
I applied the same blunt-force-trauma approach to bicycling. Until now (dammit!): ride hard and lots and you'll be one of the big dogs.
Well,I AM one of the big dogs now. About 40 lbs bigger than I should be. And, though my DNF's are few I've had more than my share of DFLs (dead f*****g last).
RAW is not the biggest challenge I can think of in cycling. But is big enough to injure my ego (source of all motivation in the land of `Fallon') reeeeallly bad if I do poorly.
So, my doing RAW is not the heroic challenge of doing `the hard' thing that `real men' pursue. It is the fundamental and perpetual insecurity in my own worth that scares me into pulling myself inside out for "one more tiny bit of evidence" that I'm not a lazy, stupid slob.
The whole thing scares the crap out of me. (O.K.! I get it! We're back to the `fear and greed' model of why people do things. And THIS has taken me 64 years to realize?!!!!!!)
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