A Rainy Night in Havana

It's getting old, these weekly deluges.  What happened to the nice springtime shower, why 4+" every time?  It's cramping my training plans.

The OMTP

Ah the training plan.  I'm in my second week of the Build, Peak, and Race phase.  I've gotten to where I enjoy the planning and the training almost as much as the racing.  It was getting confusing having the plan in Adobe on the computer, my riding stuff on Garmin Connect and Strava, and the daily stuff written in a running journal by my sink in the bathroom.  So I printed the whole plan, dated the workouts (which was a mistake), printed off calendars with the races and other events, and put it all in an old school notebook.

I have no idea why it's upside down.  You get the idea.

I know, I know, that's so 1977, but it works for me.  I can now look ahead and see what's coming up and when I need to start pre race workouts. 

I've even gotten The Kid starting to follow a plan.  Just to prove one size doesn't fit all, he was doing intervals with me last night at Forest Meadows and I noticed he wasn't breathing hard.  I however, was heaving like a water buffalo.  "Go around!" I gasped.  "Okay" was the reply, he stood on the pedals and disappeared up the hill, leaving me alone in my misery.  He needs to train with somebody who can beat him down.  I'm afraid those days are gone as far as me doing the beating.

 

 

 

 

The Trick

As I document the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) and the average HR (heart rate) from the various rides I'm finding that on certain days my RPE is low, even though my HR is up and I cover just as much ground, and on other days I can't get my HR into the recommended zone.  You've all experienced it, some days just seem easy, and some days the legs feel like lead.  I guess the trick is to get the easy feeling on race day.  Sounds pretty simple huh?

Tom Petty

I assume the ride I plan on doing in Gainesville this weekend is named after his band, the Heartbreakers.  I've never done it before, it's a 65 mile dirt and paved road ride/race around the country side in Alachua County Florida.  It's got me a little nervous because of all the roadie crap that these type of rides sometimes require.  You know, following close, squeezing in and out of a group, etc.  There's no trophies, no support, and very few rules. 

 

The group I'm going with are all stud muffins when it comes to doing this stuff and are all set on destroying the local's sense of self worth regarding their ability to ride their bikes.  Should be fun.  I'll let you know how it goes.