When I slam it it makes you look inert.
Now I’m beatin up hills like my name is Eddy Merckx

So everyone is starting the obligatory training-update posts.  Here is mine!

I’ve been pretty quiet about the training plan stuff- mainly because this year I want things to be a little more open-ended so that I don’t get burnt out by the time ‘cross time rolls around.  By August of last year, I wasn’t really hating bike racing, but something clicked in a not-good way.  I was disappointed if life got in the way of a scheduled workout.  I stopped riding in the mornings so much, and during races I really wasn’t thinking at all.  This cumulated at Tokeneke where I just hammered away at the front the entire race before cramping up on the finishing climb.  Not smart!

This year, I have a general plan where I’m using Friel as a guide.  In the last two weeks I’ve started doing tempo rides by myself and 4x 10-15′ cruise intervals.  In the next week or so these will become 2×20’s.  I’ve also recently been going out with Leo to the Dover golf course for 4-5′ VO2 max intervals.  I haven’t really done these before, and they have been feeling great- especially as It’s way too early for me to start the all-out 2-3′ stuff yet.

I am counting on Wells, Tuesday night worlds, and the early season races to bring things together and allow me to identify what I need to work on for the mid and late season.

One last thing- It’s amazing that we have been getting together as a team as much as we have so far.  At Wells we’ll be able to practice leadouts and generally see how we all act in race situations.  By the May we’ll be one crazy race-winning unit. I’m stoked.

Shane and I met up at 8:30 for some more VO2max suffering at the dover GC climb.
4 reps, 4 minutes each @ a nearly impossible 440w average. (hey math geeks, here’s a math problem: I weigh 190, shane weighs like 145. with an average grade of 5%, what was his average power?).
this was my first time doing these on the fast bike and Shane held onto the pace like a freaking champ, a clear sign of his fitness moving in an upward trend. Kudos, brother. Very impressive!

That said, the race bike is feeling ok. I was able to see myself in a few store windows and dern! I am quite aero compared to last years position! Flat back is pretty easy to achieve even if the boys dont like it!

So, some intense core work today and then REST until saturdays TT and some endurance riding on the possible new cervelo??? (2 hours post TT, leaving landry’s @ 12:30ish.

killer work, again Shake.

-eLTrain

ps: thanks for the DOPE burgers last night Michael!!