Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Just Training

It has been almost 10 days since my last update and unfortunately I don't have too much to report.  I have been training but I have been traveling for work and haven't had a good chance to be consistent with my riding.  I still get in at least 3 rides a week but I would prefer that number to jump to around 5 for the next few weeks.

The Cobbled Classics have just finished and Tom Boonen (front) crushed the competition.  The Ardennes (hilly) Classics are next. I will be one of the few getting up at 6:00AM tomorrow to watch Brabantse Pijl.

I have finally figured out my race schedule for the next two months.  I signed up for 3 hilly road races and 1 crit with a short but very steep climb (23%).  The hope is that these races will begin to play into my hands as someone who trains quite a bit on his climbing/descending skills.  I still have a few more weeks to build on my fitness before the first race but I am looking forward to getting back in the peloton and racing.

I will be back on the (original) bike soon!

It also looks like I will be returning to the motorcycle race track at the end of May.  It has been almost a year since my last days at the track and I am starting to really get the itch.


Sunday, April 1, 2012

The Chase

Not too much to report on in the last week.  I have been training more and more as the weather starts to warm up and the days get longer and longer.  I have previously reported on my increased level of fitness and it seems to be that I am getting stronger with each week.

Over the last week I had the chance to try a new tactic while training with the team; chasing.  At the bottom of every climb I would drop to the back of the pack and soft pedal for about a minute as everyone else started up the road.  The goal was catch as many people as possible by the top of the climb.  Chasing plays mind games with you because you know you can catch certain people and you are always tempted to overextend yourself.  It was good practice to learn your limits and stay within yourself while at the same time riding at your limit.  The video below is a great example of the chase.


Marco Pantani at the 1999 Giro d'Italia.  He gets a flat, has a wheel change and then joins his teammates for an assault on the field and the climb.  Notice his very unique climbing style with his hands in the drops, it almost looks like he is sprinting up the climb.

3 songs for this week:
The Beatles - She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Mayer Hawthorne - No Strings
Ray LaMontagne - Repo Man