Training Log Archive: Carbons Offset

Such a great day! Carbon and I headed to Fernie and met up with Violet plus Greg and Jason to do the Trails to Ales Challenge: ride up and down three trails (Swine Flu, Project 9 and Hyperventilation) plus start and finish at the Fernie Brewing Company brewery in less than 24 hours, and get a free beer and a medal.
Violet added in a climb up Phat Bastard and up and over Mushroom Head after Swine Flu so that we wouldn't have to ride on road to connect the first and second trails, and because it was fun - a good climb and an extra awesome descent.
Cleaned all of the climbs, but had to do do-overs on one switchback near the top of Hyperventilation and one loose steep corner.
Had a blast on all of the downhills but one of them cleaned my clock in return. Carbon and I put the pads on, it makes her feel like Superwoman whereas I did a big Superman over my bars on one of the last drops on Project 9; we think my front wheel may have snagged a root. Next thing I know I was flying, and after that I was picking dirt out of my ear. Smashed my thigh on something and had a deep nasty Charlie horse for the last climb.

Such a great day and several people were out doing this new challenge so we kept running into a few of the same groups.
Burned 2800 calories, tonight's huge burger and fries was awesome!
So great to have a nice big day of riding, I've missed that.
Hopefully another big day tomorrow

C • Great riding! 7

Distance is a wild guess

Intervals:
6 sets of:
4 X (30 sec easy, 20 sec moderate, 10 sec all out), straight back into the next interval
2 minutes easy between sets

10 minute warm up, 15 minute cool down

Then a fun social at the Valhalla Pure Outfitters store after with snacks, beer, pop, water and discount on anything in the store.

Didn't have any takers for our Wednesday group ride so Carbon and I decided to join the group ride at Rebound Cycle. Really glad we did. Always a great group of people, good riders and very welcoming. We had a good group, kept a good pace.
Rode from the shop up to CNC, rode Ziggy's, Swamp, Sherwood Forest, Odyssey, black Terminator to the rest of blue Odyssey, Elevator Shaft, Blue and black Coal Chutes, Long Road to Ruin, EKG, then the trail below Devonian Drop that leads back down to town. Then free beer and downhill race videos on Red Bull TV. Such a fun night!
Practiced some of the new downhill tips, other times I just rode and aimed to keep close to the fast guys.

Office to Edworthy bridge with detour to 10th Avenue for construction, then back on the other side of the river.
The Hokas have reached 1000 km and still feel good. Only a couple of spots on the tread that are worn down (initial and final contact spots).

Decided to head back to Canmore because Dr. Andy Reed squeezed me into his schedule at the end of the night to look at my shoulder that is still hurting since the Spain road bike crash three months ago. This meant I would be driving right by the trailhead for the Canmore Trail Culture group run at the right time... and I had running gear in the car (always keep running gear in the car, in case ;)
I already ran at lunch, but who can turn down a run with a fun group on a fun trail.

Trans Canada Trail, out and back.

Meanwhile, some ultrasound showed healthy tendons in the shoulder, some slight extra space on the AC joint (not a problem), so no obvious answers but definitely saw some extra fluid around the shoulder joint. Going for x-ray today. If that doesn't show anything, then MRI.

C • Shoulder 3

2 hour private mountain bike lesson with Carbon, working on downhilling, focused on braking and bike handling / bike-body separation, switchbacks etc. Did some drills in a field and on a small slope on Tunnel Mountain, then rode part of the Topp Notch trail. On one set of switchbacks I really got into it and was able to carry a really nice wide line, letting my speed carry me right up the berm of the corner. Just as the coach was praising my line, I went just off the edge of the trail with my front wheel and quickly went beyond 100% bike-body separation. All good, a soft slide in the dirt, it just looked dramatic and cranked the stem on the steer tube... sounded horrible, easily realigned.

Quick lesson notes for practice:

Braking down hill with loose stuff at CNC, a couple of turns up from where EKG and FYI cross. Aim to keep the suspension smooth, note how you have to compensate with body position when squeezing more or less brake

Practice keeping the seat down and forcing yourself to pedal while standing so that you can move the bike side to side under you. This will help you become more accustomed to moving the bike around underneath you. May also help for balance on slow technical climbing instead of just being glued to the seat.

Also practice front and back movement. Explore the space.

When turning, outside hip goes out, belly button and shoulders turn in. Exaggerate this to practice on mellow stuff. When following a meandering trail, trace the outsides of the trail and exaggerate. Practice this rotation on turns when climbing too. Inside bar gets pushed down, inside arm straightens, steer/lead with your outside bent elbow that is up high, and rotate hips.

On a slight downhill of road, practice leaning the bike way over and carving tight turns, inside arm straight, lead with outside elbow, hips rotated, hear the tires accelerate and decelerate. Don't do this fast.
Then climb back up with seat down, moving bike side to side underneath you.

Brake in first third of turn, coast through middle third, accelerate in last third.