Did You Ride Today?

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

since its just us 3-4 here , (and the advertisers , rest of the web) I'd though I'd share the last ride data /
Im freaking too sore to ride tonight . Mondays ride wrecked me , I should have rode tonight. Darn it. Goin got cut off two weeks before race and just spin and lighter rides.
Thought I'd push to the next level before the 15 day post race window closes.
Now its getting real and I'm freaking out.

So here's some the data . I'd been advised before on lot of this and I have trouble with all the numbers and special training. So I'm slacking and never got in zone 5? Sure I recorded some moments in that heart range. I realize we define these parameters of the zones I defined them on garmin by what they recommend by age ,
Comments welcome .

 

[cobbwheels]

When I wiped brown particles off my frame during ride switched from neck gator to n 95. I too wore masks during COVID. Trained for my first 5 k in 2022 in a mask. No fun but got a strong diaphragm. I believe the masked training - even neck gator or nose n mouth affected my vo2 numbers. They are simply projections , an algorithm of sorts ( garmin) No comparison to a cardiologist and tech assisted treadmill measurement protocol. But masked the vo2 plummeted. Hmmm

I also use something like a neck gator on outdoor rides because on 100F rides, the N95 mask would become unbreathable even with a little bit of sweat in it. If I can't breathe in it, I take it off and it becomes even more useless than a highly breathable mask that can only filter out ~50% of the particles.

Masked training won't exactly contribute to improve VO2. Runners use them to have stronger diaphragm as you have experienced yourself. The diaphragm gets sore when tired and this can cause significant discomfort and makes breathing harder when it hits.

Masked training can negatively affect your VO2max if you allow your FTP to drop while doing Zone 4/FTP trainings with mask. VO2max is directly related to your FTP. You can still hit your FTP numbers with mask. You'll just have to put in more effort in breathing.

I do multiple sessions of my indoor training. Easier sessions with mask and also during rest periods. The harder sessions are done without mask to sustain best power output and also because it's impossible to keep using my cheapo N95 masks during hard sessions because sweat would make them unbreathable. I've done it a few times and it's like a waterboarding torture session. I almost passed out while training!

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

since its just us 3-4 here , (and the advertisers , rest of the web) I'd though I'd share the last ride data /
Im freaking too sore to ride tonight . Mondays ride wrecked me , I should have rode tonight. Darn it. Goin got cut off two weeks before race and just spin and lighter rides.
Thought I'd push to the next level before the 15 day post race window closes.
Now its getting real and I'm freaking out.

So here's some the data . I'd been advised before on lot of this and I have trouble with all the numbers and special training. So I'm slacking and never got in zone 5? Sure I recorded some moments in that heart range. I realize we define these parameters of the zones I defined them on garmin by what they recommend by age ,
Comments welcome . View attachment 6746View attachment 6747View attachment 6748View attachment 6746

I might add the downhill speed not so much a show and tell but an effort to raise my IMO pathetic slow AVG MPH!

 

[Mr. Beanz]

I wish I had the data back when I was training for events. I know I was climbing 30,000 to 40,000 per month.

42 on downhill is fast enough. On one of my events, I remember descending at 42 and finishing well. One forum member talking trash said I wouldn't keep up. I smoked him by over an hour over the 100 miles. He thought he'd catch me on the 40 mile downhill because he saidhe was a good descender. I don't think so! I'm a good descended and speed is not usually the main factor. I have buds posting faster max speeds but I smoke them by using good lines taking the speed and good balance. Seriously, I can put 1/8 of a mile on them just by using good lines.

Much more to doing well than just max speeds.

This was my event. 40 mile downhill. One thing I learned having done this event 4 itimes is don't stop pedaling on the downhill. Soft pedal so the legs don't freeze up.

After so much climbing, tge legs will surely seize up with the smallest of climbs. Like Itty bitty ones on the long descent in the graph.

I did well, 42 max speed eith an average speed of 14.0 over 100 miles and 10,000 ft of gain

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

I wish I had the data back when I was training for events. I know I was climbing 30,000 to 40,000 per month.

42 on downhill is fast enough. On one of my events, I remember descending at 42 and finishing well. One forum member talking trash said I wouldn't keep up. I smoked him by over an hour over the 100 miles. He thought he'd catch me on the 40 mile downhill because he saidhe was a good descender. I don't think so! I'm a good descended and speed is not usually the main factor. I have buds posting faster max speeds but I smoke them by using good lines taking the speed and good balance. Seriously, I can put 1/8 of a mile on them just by using good lines.

Much more to doing well than just max speeds.

This was my event. 40 mile downhill. One thing I learned having done this event 4 itimes is don't stop pedaling on the downhill. Soft pedal so the legs don't freeze up.

After so much climbing, tge legs will surely seize up with the smallest of climbs. Like Itty bitty ones on the long descent in the graph.

I did well, 42 max speed eith an average speed of 14.0 over 100 miles and 10,000 ft of gain

View attachment 6749

 

[Mr. Beanz]

One nice thing I saw on strava this weekend. A younger friend of mine has been hammering in a group posting great speeds. Half my age younger dude.

They did our local mountain ride. 20 mile climb with 5,000 ft.

First half of the climb segment I beat I'm by 13 minutes. 8 miles 2300 ft.

Second half, another 12 minutes over 13 miles and 2700 ft.

That's 25 minutes total. I'm getting old and fat but it's going to be a long time before this young dude tops this old man.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

I wish I had the data back when I was training for events. I know I was climbing 30,000 to 40,000 per month.

42 on downhill is fast enough. On one of my events, I remember descending at 42 and finishing well. One forum member talking trash said I wouldn't keep up. I smoked him by over an hour over the 100 miles. He thought he'd catch me on the 40 mile downhill because he saidhe was a good descender. I don't think so! I'm a good descended and speed is not usually the main factor. I have buds posting faster max speeds but I smoke them by using good lines taking the speed and good balance. Seriously, I can put 1/8 of a mile on them just by using good lines.

Much more to doing well than just max speeds.

This was my event. 40 mile downhill. One thing I learned having done this event 4 itimes is don't stop pedaling on the downhill. Soft pedal so the legs don't freeze up.

After so much climbing, tge legs will surely seize up with the smallest of climbs. Like Itty bitty ones on the long descent in the graph.

I did well, 42 max speed eith an average speed of 14.0 over 100 miles and 10,000 ft of gain

View attachment 6749

WHAT an epic achievement !

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

One nice thing I saw on strava this weekend. A younger friend of mine has been hammering in a group posting great speeds. Half my age younger dude.

They did our local mountain ride. 20 mile climb with 5,000 ft.

First half of the climb segment I beat I'm by 13 minutes. 8 miles 2300 ft.

Second half, another 12 minutes over 13 miles and 2700 ft.

That's 25 minutes total. I'm getting old and fat but it's going to be a long time before this young dude tops this old man.

I let the young ones know NOTHING IS FREE with this old man. Up or downhill they are going to have to keep me off their tail or risk embarrassment.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

I let the young ones know NOTHING IS FREE with this old man. Up or downhill they are going to have to keep me off their tail or risk embarrassment.

"They did our local mountain ride. 20 mile climb with 5,000 ft." gulp . Had to read that twice.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

I also use something like a neck gator on outdoor rides because on 100F rides, the N95 mask would become unbreathable even with a little bit of sweat in it. If I can't breathe in it, I take it off and it becomes even more useless than a highly breathable mask that can only filter out ~50% of the particles.

Masked training won't exactly contribute to improve VO2. Runners use them to have stronger diaphragm as you have experienced yourself. The diaphragm gets sore when tired and this can cause significant discomfort and makes breathing harder when it hits.

Masked training can negatively affect your VO2max if you allow your FTP to drop while doing Zone 4/FTP trainings with mask. VO2max is directly related to your FTP. You can still hit your FTP numbers with mask. You'll just have to put in more effort in breathing.

I do multiple sessions of my indoor training. Easier sessions with mask and also during rest periods. The harder sessions are done without mask to sustain best power output and also because it's impossible to keep using my cheapo N95 masks during hard sessions because sweat would make them unbreathable. I've done it a few times and it's like a waterboarding torture session. I almost passed out while training!

Interesting and technical posts there cobbwhells!

 

[Mr. Beanz]

WHAT an epic achievement !

I did it 4 times over a 10 year span. At 230 pounds, I placed #123 out of the 400 serious climbers. Ride description: Don't enter the timed event unless you're a serious climber. Seemed everyone was 150 pounds but me ha ha ha.

Then after that, I did this event. 114 miles 12,000 ft gain.

The earned jersey owned by maybe 500 riders out of the 30,000 locals.

I have one!

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

Thats a honor ! A little surprised the weight dont slow you down , earlier ( 30 years ago ) the heavier guys I would typically drop on climbs. But never flats or sprints.

As a rule breaker I'm riding a yellow jersey for Oct 1st hill climb race!

 

[Mr. Beanz]

"They did our local mountain ride. 20 mile climb with 5,000 ft." gulp . Had to read that twice.

Gina has done it a couple times (5,000 ft) and the 3,000 ft version about 30 times.

)

 

[Mr. Beanz]

Thats a honor ! A little surprised the weight dont slow you down , earlier ( 30 years ago ) the heavier guys I would typically drop on climbs. But never flats or sprints.

As a rule breaker I'm riding a yellow jersey for Oct 1st hill climb race!

I missed the race description you are doing. Which ride is it? Got a link or ride name so I can check it out?

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

Sure Mr Beanz. its an Annual Mt Challenge held at the East Bays 3rd toughest climb Mt Diablo State park in Danville . Its really just 11 plus miles all uphill and roughly 3250 ft of vertical.
For some a challenge others just how fast how can they get up.

Been going there since 18 years old . Hundreds of ascents . But had a pause from 1996's event and 2023's ( no riding at all ) of which I am a registered entrant. Last 3-4 months of nothing but road & hills including a sierra pass or 2 and a half dozen timed climbs on the mountain. Its simply all -out for an hour ( or less ) to up to 2 hours depending on skill level.

I remember a young guy of about 11 or 12 years old on alight green Bianchi who dropped me during 1996's event , and near the top the UPS guy in his work shirt and shorts with flip flops -and on a huffy. I'd soon die as to finish behind him.

Again I'd overtrained to close too close to event. me and roomie went there incessantly attempting to break into next level before race.

That event I was on a 19 lbs aluminum bike full campy and sew ups that i'd built. But nearly 3 decades later I am attempting to beat that time in 1996 , on Oct 1st 2023 . No age graded handicap , just run what you brung. Apparently there is a fairly organized finish and award ceremony and podium . And instead of a lone photographer at devil's elbow ,there will be many perspectives from race.

Funny in the pics it seems each years someone or multiple riders enters on a uni.
On the mt....

First dude is my lender . Don't know the chap who is apparently well on way past the upper half of climb.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

for kicks a few views of "devil's elbow" over the years.
*1983 sans helmet
*1996 with early 80's helmet .
*2023 best shot I could get while riding . Perspective exaggerated obviously as well as axis. Needed to rotate CW (lazy)
*Support vehicle shot of my shot.

]
Is it just me, or did color dyes last longers years ago?. The jersey as red as 1996 "serrotta" ,perhaps an italian thing.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

Mount Diablo Challenge

41st Annual Mt. Diablo Challenge—October 6, 2024 This 11.2-mile, timed bike race climbs 3,249 feet to the summit of one of the 3 highest peaks in the Bay Area—Mount Diablo—up…

savemountdiablo.org

 

[cobbwheels]

Thats a honor ! A little surprised the weight dont slow you down , earlier ( 30 years ago ) the heavier guys I would typically drop on climbs. But never flats or sprints.

As a rule breaker I'm riding a yellow jersey for Oct 1st hill climb race!

Our advantage over heavy riders in a climb is really not that huge. At the Tour de France level, the lightweight riders are only few minutes faster in a climbing stage of few hours.

At the top level of the sport, we see heavy riders are still within 98 to 99% performance of the best lightweight climbers.

At our recreational or amateur level we're not training like the pros, the playing field is more level and heavyweight riders have good chances of winning a climbing race even if racing against much lighter weight riders.

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

there's a video that whips through the ride and mentality for race day.

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZqnXMNgzXU


Ive got this race Oct 1st , The Konocti Challenge next Sunday after that ( best half metric in Ca) Oct 7 th 62 miles and a CW ride around tahoe 72 miles Oct 13th all within about 2 weeks time after the Oct 1st race. I've not rode 62 miles ince the early 90's. i shudder at thought of 4-5 hours on the bike , and the top around Tahoe - well i cant imagine 5 plus hours on a bike . Going to need that support vehicle and strong medication.

I might call it a season after Tahoie ( for road ) and go back To MTB trail rides and cross county running with my dog. I'm just praying my legs are back tomorrow. With just weeks left going to be super careful not to strain or get hurt. Then i can start doing house chores and giving attention to my family again

 

[Fourlegsgood2wheelsbad]

Our advantage over heavy riders in a climb is really not that huge. At the Tour de France level, the lightweight riders are only few minutes faster in a climbing stage of few hours.

At the top level of the sport, we see heavy riders are still within 98 to 99% performance of the best lightweight climbers.

At our recreational or amateur level we're not training like the pros, the playing field is more level and heavyweight riders have good chances of winning a climbing race even if racing against much lighter weight riders.

how come the the guys up front ( besides Cavendish who is well bult ) of the tour guys and so "unbuilt" they have arms of my 12 year old nephew. And the skinny light guys that seem on top of cyclocross? I'm curious to see the top 10 tour leaders and thier weights.