eccc whippet Posted June 15, 2018 Author Posted June 15, 2018 decided to go to a 1 hour stretching session rather than a coffee ride...i havent stuck to my stretching routine 100 %... but what i have done is certainly helping...from next week Wednesday mornings it will be an individual stretching and mobility session with Matt ...then friday a group session again...with Matt (Biokineticist) from the little time i have spent with Matt...it has been money well spent...he is passionate about what he does which shows in his commitment to helping people. i have never done stretching...ever...never thought much of it...until my first visit to Matt...i laugh about...but it is actually not funny...my hamstrings are so tight...its gona take weeks to try loosen them. a word of advise if you are like me and think stretching is for runners...if you are clocking mileage on a bicycle and dont stretch...i would highly recommend you start soon...even if it is just a basic routine. Was chuffed to see the double figues on the scale this morning....got home this afternoon starving ...so i over indulged a bit...not too stressed about it...i am heading in the right direction and starting to count down the days (128 days to go...shova is on the 21 October) i hope to do a nice long ride tomorrow...Sunday being fathers day (I have a very happy young lady who very excited...been wrapping presents for me this afternoon already) and yes i did ask for socks as we all know weekends are the most difficult...lets hope i can at least get a good day in tomorrow...sunday will be big breakfast and a beachfront ride with pinky and mom. next week should be easier.
eccc whippet Posted June 25, 2018 Author Posted June 25, 2018 119 days to go...starting to loose faith in my ability to pull off this challenge. spent the weekend at Injisuthi pondering life while sitting on the top of a mountain drinking fresh water out the river. the last time i felt this fit..was in 1983 when i did basics in the army...did a 10 km walk up the side of a mountain and barely worked up a sweat. doing the training is not the problem...the weight is going up...103 kg...yeah i know some will say it is muscle...its not going to help...at 100 kg i need to push 340 watts for an hour...in 2 months i have only increased my power by 10 watts (238 - 248) ...not good enough. the only way to achieve this goal is to drop in weight and maintain the power.
eccc whippet Posted July 2, 2018 Author Posted July 2, 2018 112 days to go Training is going well...been putting in the effort. Monday - rest dayTuesday - cadenceWednesday - solo bio session with Matt to loosen and mobility.Thursday - cadenceFriday - group session...stretching with Matt. Saturday - 60 + km out rideSunday - 60 km + out ride i know i need to increase the weekend distance...after our anaerobic session on thursday my legs werent feeling that great...saturday did a few hills with a faster group...which resulted in a few PRs and then on Sunday i took it easy...legs were feeling a bit bruised up the hills. Eating is back on track...weight is slowly dropping....in the double digits. Off fizzy drinks coffee with 1 sugar in the morning and the rest of the day...black with no sugar. been thinking about the Rhino ride on the 8 December (340 km) ...with all the training maybe i should try it...so i spoke to someone who has not only tried it...but one of the few who have managed to complete the whole ride...if i do try it this year i will attempt the 240 km not the 340 km.
eccc whippet Posted July 13, 2018 Author Posted July 13, 2018 I am doing something wrong...not sure what it is but i need to fix it...this is the second time that i have pushed myself during the week and the weekend...then suffered for it the following week...body just shuts down and i get horribly sick...to a point that i cant even do my stretching...if feels like i get the flu...head sore...runny nose...headaches...coughing and just feel crap in general. it seems that i either over do it or i am not putting back what i take out...not eating right. last week i did the same weekly routine...then on the weekend i did 195 km in total...the first 85 km...nice flat ride south...sunday a 110 km ride with 1900m of climbing...monday felt fine (recovery day)...tuesday morning didnt make it to cadence...by wednesday i was feeling so *** i didnt even make it to my stretching class...by thursday i was man down...today i woke up feeling much better...just a headache and runny nose.
eccc whippet Posted July 18, 2018 Author Posted July 18, 2018 96 days to go... Back into routine this week...nose still running (clear not green)...eased back into cadence yesterday and today back to the bio for my weekly routine (money well spent) Im pleased to say that the little work with the bio is producing good results...body is becoming a lot more flexible...leg is almost at 90 degrees...i can now hold my foot against my butt and i can stand on the 45 degree platform for 30 seconds without even working up a sweat...so what are the benefits...less time shuffling on the bike trying to find a comfortable position...just when i thought it was getting easy...a few new exercises have certainly bought back the shaking It seems to be helping with the knee...and exposed the ankle issue from a fall a couple years ago...doing exercises for the ankle. Matt offer a free off the bike session on friday for all cadence members (worth making the effort) non members are welcome...however there is a small fee. Getting a little worried that i am running out of time...the cadence and stretching is certainly helping but is it going to be enough?
eccc whippet Posted July 19, 2018 Author Posted July 19, 2018 Had a good session this morning...could have put in a little more effort even though i was in the upper tempo and VO2 regions...the focus was on consistency in the pedal stroke and maintaining the range. weight...mmm this is getting interesting... 101.3 kg today...finally getting some definition in the legs...the theory muscle is heavier than fat is beginning to show...gut is getting flatter...legs and core are getting stronger...only problem is those hills are gona kill me if i dont get lighter.
Escapee.. Posted July 19, 2018 Posted July 19, 2018 Had a good session this morning...could have put in a little more effort even though i was in the upper tempo and VO2 regions...the focus was on consistency in the pedal stroke and maintaining the range. weight...mmm this is getting interesting... 101.3 kg today...finally getting some definition in the legs...the theory muscle is heavier than fat is beginning to show...gut is getting flatter...legs and core are getting stronger...only problem is those hills are gona kill me if i dont get lighter. Stronger legs will kill those hills
eccc whippet Posted July 20, 2018 Author Posted July 20, 2018 Stronger legs will kill those hills Good news...talking about stronger legs...it seems it is muscle and not fat increasing my weight Got an email this evening... Well done, your performance indicates we need to make a change to the intensity of the figures you train at. We have increased your figures by 4.03% from your previous training zones so expect to see some new numbers at your session. Here is what your new zones will look like (numbers are in watt): still got a long way to go and little time...93 days to go. legs are feeling a bit torn this evening after the off bike conditioning workshop this morning.
eccc whippet Posted July 23, 2018 Author Posted July 23, 2018 91 days to go... had a good weekend of riding...went into the weekend with tender legs from a good Thursday cadence session and a off bike conditioning workshop on Friday. 80 km club ride out to Balito and back...took my turn in the front for a change...had to rest after the ride...legs felt a bit broken. 43 km Sappi Scottburgh race on Sunday...was feeling strong until i got to the top of the switchbacks through the forest...eased off and slowed the pace down a bit to the end.
Escapee.. Posted July 23, 2018 Posted July 23, 2018 I like your signature With 91 days to go you are definitely on the right track. Remember to recover as well, going flat taps all the time is a recipe for disaster
eccc whippet Posted July 26, 2018 Author Posted July 26, 2018 New numbers this week...went well...finished off the intervals today quite buggered...but i maintained the zones right to the end. Tomorrow is a coffee ride...so no off bike conditioning...thank goodness my poor legs need a break...those off bike sessions hurt like hell...i would rather do upper zone pyramid sessions than an off bike session.
eccc whippet Posted August 2, 2018 Author Posted August 2, 2018 81 days to go... for the first time i had to stop during a cadence session...totally blown out...had some issues with the reading displayed...by the time i reset the tablet and got going again...i was already done...nothing worse than looking down and seeing 22 rpm and 40 watt...while you giving it your best effort...as it recovers it slowly moves up to 145 rpm and 500 watt. i have been comparing my progress with my 2016 sessions...it seems i was a lot stronger in 2016...going through strava...it seems i spent a lot more time just riding my bike around the hood...i do recall i spent a lot of time chasing groups...now i seem to spend more time wheel sucking...i have learnt how to save energy...which might not be a good thing. this month i will continue with the stretching and off bike conditioning....cadence sessions and adding in a some rowing and skipping...i also plan to start doing a 5 km walk everyday. I plan to cut back on the bio visits and made an appointment with a dietitian.
eccc whippet Posted August 6, 2018 Author Posted August 6, 2018 Some credit were it is due...i bumped my head yesterday...10/10 for catlike helmets...even though the helmet was cracked in 3 places inside...the outer casing held it together...because i cant use the helmet again i decided to take the broken pieces off...it took a a vise and a bit of pressure to tear the outer "plastic" cover. My eyesight has improved since yesterday...only my left eye is still a bit blurry...but is improving ....the shoulder is feeling better today...been using an ice pack and some drugs...more important the bike is ok so i manged to finish the last 28 km of the 60 km race.
eccc whippet Posted August 7, 2018 Author Posted August 7, 2018 decided to go see a doc...was told it is not smart to continue with a ride after you bump your head...especially if your eye sight goes blurry...it could result in other issues...if you feel like you have reading glasses on while riding...you have a problem...stop the bike...if you feel unstable and it feels like you gona fall off...stop the bike...we cyclist (tough guys) not football players...we just keep going. feeling 9/10 ...eye sight is back to normal....numbness has cleared on the right side of my face...shoulder feeling much better... ready for cadence at 5 am...instead i took the docs advice...popping the pills and just gona take it easy for the next couple of days...he said i can step it up next week.
eccc whippet Posted August 8, 2018 Author Posted August 8, 2018 very frustrating...spoke to Matt about doing cadence...he has also advised against it...we start again on friday...ease back into it with a short low tempo session...if all goes well over the weekend we should be back on track by tuesday next week. This bang on the head has got me thinking about helmets...why they dont have some form of protection between the hard protective shell and your head...the bang on the head felt like i was hit with a baseball bat...surely if there was like a gel (used in shoes for compression)or some type of softer protective layer (like airbags in a vehicle) it would ease the knock...preventing or at least easing a concussion...at the end of the day you brain is the key component...loose a leg you have a spare one...loose you mind... everything stops. how much impact does the helmet absorb in comparison to your head...considering how hard the material is in the helmet...wearing a helmet with a softer compound be better. i need to do some research before i replace my helmet...i give catlike 10/10 for strength...but do i want to be wearing a helmet that is so strong or one which is just as strong but slightly softer to reduce the impact on my skull.
dave303e Posted August 8, 2018 Posted August 8, 2018 the polystyrene is the impact absorbing material that protects, same as used in motorcycle and car crash helmets and it does work. The real issue with the bicycle helmets is that due to vents and the cycling drive for lightweight gear there is actually zero point impact protection. If you land on the ground it will save you, but it you were to hit your head on say a dropper or the point of a tree branch, ya good luck with that.
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