Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

Event: SMOC Island Lake Recreation Area Regular Meet
 

Hung up some white and yellow while Tizoc finished up orange and other outliers.

You can asterisk my performance today as I didn't realize I was setting the GO (and getting brief exposure to a small segment of 8-9). Given its prominent location in a high visibility area, that was probably less a factor than having course set here previously.

I'm feeling more spry. HR was not as insane for a given pace, which was nice to see.

The course reminded me a bit of some A meets I've been to - move physically on a large feature, but then really have to seal the deal in the circle, unlike our normal glacial technique where circle or circle + is not always so tricky or precise or without as much reference.

With Voit out of the official picture and rumors of no Igor, I made one dumb error that luckily broke in my favor:

2-3, I should have gone around. Trying to bang it from a potentially fight-y top was probably too bold, conservative was the order of the day I think.

Screwed up 8-9. I think my route was okay if the features were easier, but they weren't, so going through the parking lot a la Steve Simpson was better, since then you could key off the Cooper hill (the tall sandy hill with the double knoll) and bear straight at it, rather than the "eventually hang a right" that I did.

Then I screwed up #10, thinking straight would be okay, but progress was slow on the line and I thought maybe I overshot, so I dropped down, confirmed and popped up but too slowly, good for a couple minutes.

Also bobbled #13, choose wrong isthmus, then didn't get off it right, then the one I chose was slow going - I think a longer route was faster.

Swamp 15-16 aw yeah.

Good equipment choices:

I was going to run in shorts and gaiters for heat, saw Tizoc's legs, and switched to a pants.

Pre-gamed with (2) endurolyte extremes.

Carried a 190 calorie smoothie pouch thing, took a big hit before the water stop (took one cup) and then a little more later when I needed a pick me up.

ILRA is a runner's course, so I wore running shoes to minimize pounding.

Afterwards, while milling about, I knocked back a gallon of gatorade. no lie.

C • good job :) 2

Topped off water stop (used by several courses, warm day), staged game camera), and staged video camera, then restaged video camera shorter when I saw it blew over.

Pickup four from the early loop.

I really wanted to post something inflammatory in the WUOC selection thread, then this weekend's service was about using your words for good....damn it.

C • Unbelievable 1

Return trip went well!

I think sub hour is possible with slightly improved fitness...although I'd need just about as many greens as I got today!

For next time, I should try to:

* lock my car at the office
* wear a helmet (that explained the cool feeling I noticed)

C • But if you change your pace 4

This was glorious!

My dream come true, since pitching a move to Plymouth.

Then classes got in the way. But today it finally happened: I biked home from work. On my new-to-me very lightly used Surly Disc Trucker, a steel touring bike. I don't have any of the stuff for it yet, like racks, fenders, panniers, etc. but it was good enough to get home with a light backpack.

I felt so good I did the slightly longer route through the Old Village, rather than the 50' of grass to Plymouth Road.





Pictures are of Wilcox Lake, with Wilcox coincidentally being my m-i-l's mother's maiden name. Not sure if related or not yet.

Tomorrow I can ride in and rinse off, and then I have access to my car.

The Trucker might make a MarkVT race race bike, since it's light and rolls fast.

Woooooooooo hooooooooooo!

C • Excellent choice of bike. 2

It's mentally rough being this out of shape. I try to focus on: all I need is a good Rage and maybe a nice fall A meet, and this is just the first step, but it's rough.

C • The best part 3

cooldown

HOLY CRAP

Cris and Barbara destroyed me by idling themselves around Yellow. Any uphill was heart rate spike city. I have no biking fitness, this felt awful. I thought about leaving after this. Holy crap.

The super nav sport ladies of TNT welcomed me to their Green loop ride. I asked to just do Blue while they roared around, but they graciously would have none of it, so I took it out and tried to keep them from being too bored. I had to jump a few roots for style points. I swear I'd also do this if solo. It is a training ride after all, and that's good training.

Heart rate was through the roof as well. I could not get up any hills with incurring significant cardio taxing. Humbling. This pace should be barely 120 bpm, regardless of what bike. Time to get after getting fit!

Crashed once. Late in the Yellow portion, fatigue had me winging around the the outside lines, and I found soft dirt that grabbed my front wheel. Thankfully being on flats, I could jump off, presumably with great flair but you'll have to check with Sydney to be certain.

C • Flair 3