Here / Now -- Training Blog

New Blog Site

All of the posts from this blog have now been incorporated into my new blog:
http://john-simons.com/

First Half Recap

Here is a recap of the first half of the year:

January: 7:45:00 total time
February: 5:15:00 total time
March: 14:55:42 total time, 144.0 miles
April: 25:00:55 total time, 310.10 miles
May: 18:30:11 total time, 267.96 miles
June: 27:33:24 total time, 386.34 miles

Cumulative: 99:01:02 total time, 1108.40 miles --- wow!

Total time includes time on the trainer and time on the road. The miles are only on the road.

Riding, July 6, 2006 - Thursday Night

I decided that this Thursday night, I was going to test myself and see if I had actually gotten faster or stronger. I was very pleased with the results.

I stayed with the A group until almost halfway out to the school. I then stayed with an A- group most of the rest of the way. I reached the school just before the B+ group came in. The A group had already left the school. I left with a small group, and we kept a good tempo all the way back. I averaged almost 19 mph on the way to the school. When we reached the back of the trail, I had an average of 19.3 mph. I then eased up most of the way through the trail, so my average dropped again.

I was impressed with my riding, so were several of the others.

Stats:
1:28:24
27.39 mi.
18.5 mph avg.
32.5 mph max.

HRM Stats:
1:36:23
162 avg. hr
188 max. hr

Now, I just need to work on getting a little faster, with a little more endurance. It is at least possible that I might be able to get strong enough to hang with the A group.

Riding, July 4, 2006 - Gainesville to Ocala

Well, I reversed the route on my typical ride from Ocala to Gainesville. We had spent the night before with my mother-in-law and were going home. I had intended to get up early and ride, but I was too tired. When I did get up, around 8, it was almost time for the Tour de France to start on TV. I decided to watch the coverage.

I finally decided to ride home, so that I got some riding in. I didn't leave until about 2:45 in the afternoon. I would suffer with the heat. I drank lots of fluids, but still felt dehydrated when I got finished, several hours later.

49.91 mi.
3:30:25
14.2 mph avg.
29.8 mph max.

HRM Stats:
4:13:48
150 avg. hr
179 max. hr

It was a long, hot, hard ride. But, I felt stronger than I had before BRAG. And, it was good to be on the bike again.

Riding, July 3, 2006 - Blockbuster ride

Well, I got back from BRAG, and did not have time to ride for the first two weeks. I was either too busy get caught up at work, or still recovering, or the weather wasn't good.

On Monday, July 3, I rode again. I had to return a video to Blockbuster, so I did it by bicycle. Sadly, I forgot my water bottles at the house. Otherwise, I would have ridden a little further.

14.18 mi.
0:55:03
15.4 mph avg.
24.2 mph max.

No HRM.

BRAG, June 17, 2006 - Day 7

64.23 mi.
4:07:38
15.5 mph avg.
34.2 mph max.

I seem to have not saved my HRM data for this ride.

BRAG, June 16, 2006 - Day 6

Once again, I was on a demo bike. Therefore, I don't have complete stats.

Here is what I have:
HRM Stats:
6:29:10
132 hr avg.
171 hr max.
69 mi.

As usual, the HRM includes all the rest stops, and finding my luggage before I remembered to turn it off. I probably averaged around 14.5 mph, maybe 15 mph.

BRAG, June 15, 2006 - Day 5

For more details on this ride, click here.

Today's stats:
46.19 mi.
3:28:17
38.1 max.
13.2 avg.

HRM
5:37:59 (includes setting up camp)
131 avg. Hr
205 max. Hr

BRAG, June 13, 2006 - Day 3

For more details on this ride, click here.

61.92 mi.
5:01:13
38.6 max.
12.3 avg.

HRM
7:56:33
133 avg. Hr
182 max. Hr

BRAG, June 12, 2006, Day 2

For more details on this ride, click here.

With no computer on the demo bike, I do not have complete stats.

45.5 mi.
Avg spd, approx. 14-14.5 (est.)

5:25:19 (HRM Time, includes rest and starting to set up camp)
135 avg. Hr
204 max. Hr

BRAG, June 11, 2006 - Day 1

For more details on this ride, click here.

Stats:
73.86 mi
5:25:12
13.6 mph avg.
37.8 mph max.

HRM (includes setting up camp)
8:30:58
141 hr avg.
180 hr max.

Riding, June 1, 2006 - Thursday Night

Still trying to get caught up here.

I rode the Thursday night ride on June 1.

Stats:
1:36:35
25.64 mi.
15.9 mph avg.
30.6 mph max.

Riding, May 29, 2006 - Clermont, Hills, and Dehydration

I am way behind on posting my rides. I did put up summaries of most of the BRAG rides over on the main blog. It is time to get caught up.

On Memorial Day, I drove down to Clermont to ride a route down there that is used for some of the longer triathlons. It includes several good hills. I figured that it would make for good training to prepare for BRAG. I brought along several bottles and tried to drink regularly. I thought that I was doing well, as I had to stop and relieve myself several times during the day. However, before I got back to the car, the hills and the heat got to me. I was either dehydrated, suffering mild heat exhaustion, or some combination of the two. I wound up getting off the bike to walk up one short hill, stopping frequently, then finally, I just laid down in the grass in somebody's yard, under the shade of a small tree. I finally got up the energy to finish the ride, and I was glad that it was over.

Along the way, I did see some very beautiful scenery, including the Monteverde school, Howey in the Hills, and some nice lakes and hills.

Stats:
4:31:22
56.01 mi.
12.3 mph avg.
39.3 mph max.

I have a GPS file with the hills and the map. Maybe I will create the images and post them in a few days.

Riding, May 18, 2006- Thursday Night

It has been a week since I last rode--at the Thursday night group ride. I stayed with the B group early on, actually the B+ group. After we turned a corner and started riding, we realized that three of us had dropped the rest of the B group. After the next turn one of the other two decided to fall back to the B group. I and the other guy kept going. On the second hill, we were caught by a third guy, who set the pace the rest of the way to the high school.

At the school, I realized that my computer had reset. The mount had come loose on the ride, and I had been fiddling with it so I could monitor my speed. I must have accidentally reset it. So, I reset it again to track the speed going back.

The pace going back to the start was slower. It was probably a better pace.

The stats coming back were:
15.45 mi
0:58:51
15.6 mph avg.
24.3 mph max.

Total stats (approx)
30 mi.
1:48:00

Riding, May 16, 2006 - Tuesday Night

I was back out with Bob on Tuesday night. We rode west on Hwy 27, back toward horse country, but we turned around at about the spot where the scenery would have turned really nice. We still had a good ride and a chance to enjoy some conversation. We also got in a couple of good hills.

Stats:
30:08 mi.
1:55:13
15.6 mph avg.
26.0 mph max.

Good ride.

Riding, May 13, 2006 - Horse Country and Hills

On Saturday morning on went on a little longer ride. I didn't get off to as early a start as I would have liked, so I didn't have time to ride as far as I would have liked. I did get a chance to ride through horse country, and through some nice hilly areas. The hills are good training for me.

Some of the scenery was fabulous. However, parts of the ride were strewn with litter. What a shame that such a beautiful county is ruined by all the litter.

Stats:
42.39 mi.
3:00:32
14.0 mph avg.
28.0 mph max.

HRM stats:
3:13:57
132 avg. HR
Max HR was thrown off by radio interference again.

In zone: 1:09:55
Above zone: 0:33:19
Below zone: 1:30:43
I had the zone set at 132/145, which is all sublactate.

Riding, May 10, 2006 - Wed. night

I did a Wednesday night ride as I had plans for Thursday night. I rode solo and had a good time.

21.87 mi.
1:28:31
14.8 mph avg.
26.1 mph max.

Once I get caught up in logging rides, I will try to include more details.

Riding, May 9, 2006 - Silver Springs Shores

I rode with one of the guys from church. We had a really good ride. We stayed at a reasonable pace and spent much of the time talking. I got to know Bob a little bit better, and really enjoyed the time. After the ride, he and his wife came over for dinner.

Stats:
27.29 miles
1:48:16
15.1 mph avg.
24.6 mph max.

Riding, May 5, 2006 - Thursday Night

Boy, am I behind in logging my rides. Thursday May 5 was a good ride. I stayed within my limits.

Here are the stats:
30.09 miles
1:51:24
16.1 mph avg.
27.5 mph max.

No HRM stats.

Riding, May 2, 2006 - Silver Springs Shores

I went on a 30 mile ride tonight. I needed the extra miles for training. It was a good ride, but I was still tired from the headwinds over the weekend.

computer:
2:06:53
30.23 mi.
14.2 mph avg.
24.5 mph max.

HRM:
2:09:12
132 avg. HR
173 max. HR

Riding, Apr. 29 - Orange Lake

I went back to Orange Lake on Saturday, riding the old Schwinn. The wind was really strong. The wind was at 10 mph, with gusts up to 20. I tried to find a route that would avoid headwinds, but I didn't do a good job. There were far too many headwinds.

I had replaced the tires and trued the wheels, so the bike rode better, but the wind wore me out. On the way back, I made a detour to add some hills. It was a mistake because we had plans for the evening, and it was beginning to get late. With the wind and the hills, my legs were getting wiped out. I wound up calling for help a few miles from home to avoid being late for our dinner plans.

It was a good ride, but very tiring. At the end, I had to keep stopping because I didn't have anything left. I hope that there are no heawinds on BRAG.

computer:
3:50:22
49.26 mi.
12.8 mph avg.
27.5 mph max.

HRM:
4:45:18
130 Avg. HR
The max HR was thrown off by radio interference. If it were accurate, I would be dead.

Riding, Apr. 27 - Thursday night

I rode the Thursday night group ride. At the ride, I got the news that my wheel wasn't covered uner warrnay and that I would have to buy a new wheel. I was very frustrated. Angry, actually. I wound up taking out my frustration on the ride.

I was riding my old bike, left over from my college days. It is a Schwinn steel frame with downtube friction shifters. I have been using in on the trainer, in order to spare the tires on my regular bike. So, the tires were worn out, and in bad shape. It felt like the rear wheel was slipping during much of the ride.

With my frustration, I rode faster and harder than I should have.

1:37:54
27.58 mi.
16.8 mph avg.
28.0 mph max.

Riding, Apr. 23 - Lousy Ride

I went riding last Sunday. It was very windy out. I was feeling good early in the ride, but it felt like my rear brake might be rubbing. As I got further north, I had a flat tire. I pulled over and fixed it fairly quickly. I started riding again. I stopped at a convenience store in Orange Lake to refill my bottles. After I refilled and took a quick phone call, I started south to return home. Very quickly, my rear brake began rubbing very badly, like the wheel was out of true. I pulled over again, to check the tire. I didn't have any spoke wrenches, but started looking any way to see what the problem was. It turns out the hub on my rear wheel had cracked, one of the spokes was flopping around, no longer attached at the hub. There was nothing I could do. I called in the calvary and sat down to wait for help.

The stats of the ride:
computer:
2:13:14
24.23 mi.
12.9 mph avg.
21.2 mph max.

HRM:
2:13:59
138 Avg. HR
164 Max. HR

I dropped the bike off at the bike shop the next day. They called Specialized to check if the wheel was still under warranty. It wasn't under warranty. Specialized wouldn't replace the wheel. That stinks.

No Ride, Apr. 20 -- Family instead

It was Thursday night tonight, but I didn't ride. It was more important to do the family thing. We went to my youngest daughter's school program. Then I watched a movie with my son.

Good stuff.

So, insteady of the typical Thursday night ride, I am catching up on logging my recent rides.

Also, here is recap of the first quarter:

January: 7:45:00 total time
February: 5:15:00 total time
March: 14:55:42 total time, 144.0 miles

Total time includes time on the trainer and time on the road. The miles are only on the road. I may try to calculate virtual miles for my time on the trainer, if I ever have enough spare time.

Training, Apr. 18 -- Ben Hur

I got back on the trainer after taking several days off. I knew that I would not have time to ride over the Easter weekend. I actually might have been able to ride on Easter Sunday, but I was tired, and had a muscle in my left calf that was bothering me. I decided it was better to take the day off.

So, I rode on the trainer, and watched the first part of the movie Ben Hur. I have never seen the movie before. I started to watch it once before, but got interrupted and never finished it. I made it through the scene of the galley battle. The next day, I discussed that I was watching it for the first time. My friend couldn't believe that I had never seen it. He is several years older than me, so it is closer to his generation. I hadn't even been born when the movie first came out. In fairness, I think it came out shortly before he was born as well.

So any way, I rode for an hour, and then spent a little time lubing the bike chain on my road bike. I rode:

1:00:01
131 avg. HR
148 max. HR.

a good recovery ride.

Riding, Apr, 14 -- Lake Weir x2 -- stinking dump trucks

On Good Friday the office closed at lunch time. After lunch, I headed home and took a long ride, as the family was on a field trip that day.

I needed to get some serious distance, so I decided to go south, and then ride twice around Lake Weir. I had checked out an alternate route to get to Lake Weir, and decided to try it, so that my ride would not be an out and back kind of a route. Somehow, a loop just feels better.

The ride out and the first lap around Lake Weir went really smoothly. Around Sunset Harbor at the southwest corner of Lake Weir, I even got a thumbs up from a woman in an SUV. Having ridden at a reasonable pace yesterday, I felt good and was riding well up the hills.

There were some issues with motorists along the east and north edges of the lake. On the east side, one or two cars honked or rolled down a window to yell. Along the north edge, there is no shoulder and there was more traffic going towards town that I would have expected for that time of day. A couple of dump trucks and a truck carrying cement block came a little closer that I was comfortable with.

The second lap went smoothly. I got another thumbs up at Sunset Harbor, this time from a guy. That must be the most cyclist-friendly area of the county.

Along the eastern edge of the lake, I had a couple more rude cars. I came back up through Silver Springs Shores and bypassed the north side of the lake and the traffic.

The ride back was smooth. I used a little bit of the Baseline Trail to make sure that I hit my goal of 60 miles.

The family was home by the time I got there, and we enjoyed dinner together. A good way to spend the afternoon/evening.

Here are the map and profile:

And here are the stats:

Computer:
4:14:51
60.63 miles
14.2 mph avg.
30.8 mph max.

HRM:
4:33:26
144 avg. HR
169 max. HR
3:30:03 in target range
0:17:00 above target range
1:06:08 below target range

So, on a ride where at least the distance matches the typical day at BRAG, I was able to maintain a reasonable pace while riding solo. At the same time, I was able to do it at exertion levels that are maintainable. I don't know how the hills compare to what I will face in Georgia, but this route was not flat. I picked it because it has some rolling hills.

It makes me optimistic that I will be able to hold my own at BRAG. Now, I just need to keep developing endurance so that I will be able to ride like this for 7 straight days.

Riding, April 13 -- Thursday Night, Riding Smarter

This past Thursday night I was back out at the group ride. This time I was intent on riding smarter. Last week I went out trying to keep up with the A group, only to get dropped and pay the price for it on my long bike ride over the weekend. This time, I teamed up with the B group from the start. The ride was much easier, and more fun. I spent a good part of the time helping out riders who got dropped on a hill, or who were tired to catch up, or to pace back to the finish.

Here are the stats:
Computer:
1:48:04
15.5 mph avg.
30.5 mph max.
27.96 miles

HRM:
2:02:23
141 Avg. HR
179 Max. HR

Obviously the HRM includes some of the time at the begining before the ride began, and some of the time at the halfway point waiting for the rest of the group to catch us. It doesn't include all of the stopped time, because I got tired of the thing beeping at me and stopped it, rather than just turning off the alarm. Maybe next time I will turn off the alarm.