Local Cycling and Training Opportunities

I barely adhered to my intention of making this a `recovery' week.

Last Sunday I completed what amounted to a 110 K time trial in Phoenix. Phoenix Invitational .   It had been a long time since I was on terrain that didn't include miles of annoying downhill coasting and miles of slow but challenging and demanding slogging uphill.  Being able to apply sustained watts over 110 K of flatland was welcome and quite taxing.

On Wednesday, after two days of being off the bike I rode a 53 mile, 5,700 ft of climbing course  (Garmin data: P'cott - Kirkland - P'cott .  Though I purposely stayed at nothing more than 60% max it was still 4 hours and 45 minutes of raw effort.  Felt the symptoms of overtraining so I elected to take the next day off and take it easy on other training sessions the rest of the week.

My friend Mike wanted to get some miles in on his new recumbent so he chose a local training area that, initially, sounded mighty tame: an industrial park with easy loops and flat roads.  About the only thing easy about it, I found out, is that it is `local.'  That is, only a few miles from home.

I accompanied Mike to the course and immediately saw the potential of this area.  The City of Prescott put in the infrastructure for an industrial park near the airport just before the recession hit.  So, the roads are excellent, there are barely 10 - 15 small plants and warehouses.  Ninety-five percent of the area is utterly vacant.  No traffic.

This could be the core of several local club events, e.g., family fun rides, longer timed events (time trials, criterium). 

In my own mind I'm already planning some ultra endurance training sessions ( 6 hour, 12 hour, 24 hour).  I can park my truck and loop past it every 12 miles if I wanted to.  Keep dry clothes, fluid, food, equipment, etc., in my truck  Plenty of water at numerous locations.  If a problem arose I could get a `spousal rescue' in 20 minutes by cellphone.

The next day I rode this course on my own for about 2.5 hours.  Steep (14%), short (50 meters) climbs everywhere you turn.  About 10% of the course is actually flat.

Here's yesterday's Garmin data:  Jan 7 - Local trainng course

Today I rode another 3 hours in the course.  Great potential for training, competitive events (Time Trial, Criterium).  Here's today's Garmin data:  Jan 8 - Circumference of Training Course - 12.2 miiles

And then a few more hours of `free style' use of this training course: Jan 8 - Using the course for hill training and time