Training Log Archive: igoup

8 ( 500m / 3min )
w/ Pat at WR

First real intervals in the boat. Hurt but I knew it was going to. Hurting in the double is easier to get through than doing it all alone. East wind so we went back and forth over on the east side.

Did the first couple at 30-31, then the rest at 33ish. the last bonus 250 we upped to 34ish.

rep) pace, HR_max
1) 1:53.5, 154
2) 1:54.1, 156
3) 1:52.0, 160
4) 1:51.5, 164
5) -- , 162
6) 1:55.0, 165
7) 1:51.3, 166
8) 1:53.1, 168
*) A bonus 250m at 34

Put my bike back together using my new collection of torque wrenches. Got my ultegra derailleur back on without messing up the cable. Switched back to 11-25 cassette. Installed a couple of ridiculously expensive pulleys with ceramic bearings. Put on new chain.

Went for a ride and made a couple more adjustments along the way. Something still isn't quite right. Put a spacer washer in the lower pulley and I'll see if that makes a difference tomorrow.

Lets are tired.

Emergency vehicles at the lake. A sailboat capsized, a woman was rescued, but the man drowned.

Thunderstorms => To the man-cave erg-man!
20 erg + 10 run + 30 erg + 10 run + 20 erg + 10 run
All SS.

Easy on the S-Works because I haven't yet reasembled the R3.

Not at one with boat today. Planned to be out longer but I simply didn't have it in me. I guess fatigue caught up with me.

My flight home was delayed last night and so getting up to row this morning was a no go. After work I decided to go with the efficiency of a quick erg workout and then lifting. My power on the erg was surprisingly decent.

Modified to protect my shoulder and to work in my PT.

Down just past Blue Springs to mile marker 11 and back with Sam, then once more on my own. I love riding through the mountain gap. Nice morning. Took in the views trying to figure out how Lisa and I can spend more more time away from D.

Last night Sam and Ginger's friends LIbby and Ben, invited us and some others to the pavilion at Elk Creek Ranch. From route 149, just out side of South Fork, heads to the SE on Rasberry Rd. Continue past the first split in the creek onto Elk Valley Rd, through to the big open area behind the gap in the mountains. Wow! What a place. Beautiful and hidden. In the winter 200+ sized elk herds hang out here. Had a dinner of bacon, fish, chicken, etc, cooked on a grill in the pavilion.

I had seen RAAM riders climbing this route in previous years and wanted to give it a try. Started at the Pagosa Ranger Station just after 0800. I would have preferred to start about an hour earlier so that it would be a bit cooler and there would be a bit less traffic. While it wasn't hot the sun at altitude is a bit intense. I was generally comfortable but cooler is nicer. The traffic was generally well behaved and gave me plenty of room. More tiresome was the fumes at times, not so much from semis, but rather from stinky pickup trucks and motor homes. Again though, nothing out of the ordinary or really all that bad for a roadie.

I made myself keep the pace down heading out -- kept my HR in the 130s. The impending climb had my attention and so I had to remind myself to take a look around and enjoy the scenery. The serious climbing started a bit before Treasure Falls. I stopped at the later briefly to empty my internal water bottle. Then climb!

I didn't take me long to find that if my HR < 153, I could keep plugging along in control of my effort, whereas if HR > 155 it would soon lead to a bit of gasping. Thus, stuck with the former. I shifted gears and my cadence appropriately. Spent most of the time on the 32 cog (36 up front). I had to lower my natural cadence a bit to keep my HR in the zone I wanted.

I started having some chain chatter going up the switchbacks and I remembered that I hadn't tightened up the new cable since it was installed (new cables stretch). About a half turn of the barrel took care of it.

On the lower switchback I noted the deep potentially wheel sucking grove n the downhill lane so that I would be careful going down.

Once I hit the overlook my confidence went way up. Getting there feeling generally in control was a boost and figured I just had to keep doing what I was doing. At 10k to go I noted from my splits that it was taking about 25min per 5k -- 50 min to go! Then 5k to go. I was definitely counting the k's at this point. Definitely tired when I reached the top but I wasn't wobbling -- a little shaky in the hands but not wobbling on the bike.

Filled up my bottles with those that I had stashed yesterday and had a lady from Ada, OK take my photo at the continental divide sign.

Then down! Zing! Fun to crank and easily kept the speed over 70kph with three local max about 80 and a global max of 84. Not a single car passed me on the way down, whereas I hopped in the left lane and zoomed by one motor home. Nice leans around the switchbacks, avoided the big crank mentioned above, and was down off the climb in less than 20 min.

Then just tried to enjoy the ride home. However, it was a little hotter now with a little more traffic. Saw some RAM riders with support heading up and one bike-packer. The idea of riding around with a whole bunch of gear is not at all attractive to me.

Had pizza for lunch in Pagosa Springs.

For fun and curiosity, comparison to Stava Segments

PMS to Wolf Creek Pass:
Leader: 1:34:88
Me: 2:04:** 65th-ish out of 487

Wolf Creek Pass (From Pagosa Springs)
(Starts just after Treasure Falls)
Leader: 0:42:88
Me: 1:05:** 115ish out of 658

Generally speaking, I'm in the front part of the pack. Lots of people coming in right around my time.