Analysis: Skull Valley Loop Performances

THIS is the Skull Valley Loop.  Ridewithgps overestimates the climbing by about 1,000 feet. 

Every year the Prescott Alternative Transportation organization sponsors the Skull Valley Loop `Challenge' as an invitational `ride.' 

In September of '12 I `raced' this course, completing it in 2 hours and 49 minutes.  I `raced' it again in September of '13 and completed it in 3 hours and 10 minutes.  Over the past six weeks I've trained with greater intensity and `raced' it solo again this morning, completing it in 3 hours and 17 minutes. 

Why the difference in times?  I've completed a very detailed set of analyses and these are my conclusions. 

• I trained harder, with more racing intensity in '12 than in '13. 
• I weighed about 12-15 lbs less in '12.

That about sums it up. 


Today's performance isn't apples to apples with the previous two performances, as follows: 

• it was 40 degrees colder (cold air is more dense than hot air) [source];
• there was a 12-15 mph wind this time, whereas the previous times the wind was negligible: 
• it was never a tailwind, and only for about 10 miles was it a headwind;
• on the descents and climbing the wind was either quartering or just swirling on the switchbacks;
• racing against others motivates me.

I was very pleased, in fact, with today's performance. 

• Absent the `weather burden' of today's race I probably knocked off about ten minutes from my performance last September;
• I've been doing indoor intervals for the past six weeks.  Not long enough to really make much of a difference but I realize already how important they are. 

I think (not `feel') I know what to do to make significant improvements.

• reduce the `tour' pace of my training, i.e., I've been too lazy;
• continue and build on the interval training;
• incorporate more and more frequent racing sessions into my training;
• lose weight;
• continue to analyze the data and make adjustments;
• be alert to `overtraining.'