Getting it right off the bike

This week I have been finding the training hard. Last week was great felt good pushed all my limits. This week I have been paying the consequences for pushing that bit too hard. Although I have been struggling, it has highlighted some areas where I need improvement. I could have backed off my hours and/or intensity last week, but I think there are other things I could do.

Recovery has been a setback, not quite up to scratch, so I have been looking into what I can do to improve this. For good recovery I have tried to focus on getting my protein levels right plus all the vitamins and minerals. I want to be eating the right things at the right times, and when my body needs it. I also want to lose a few extra gallons storage out of my fuel tank, so getting the right amounts of the right stuff and limiting the wrong stuff will be the key. So far in the last 3 weeks I have lost 2kg, hopefully another 3-5kg will follow. My aim is another 3 by the Easter Nationals and a further 2 by the Worlds. That will bring me down to 70kg, still a lot higher than Cadel he is around the 64kg and he is only 4mm shorter than me. But I have not been below the 72kg’s since I was a teenager so it will be tough.

At the moment I just can’t get enough sleep, feeling very tired and dopey by the time I get home from work, it seems 9 hours is not cutting it. Really I can’t have anymore; I enjoy spending time with Kendra, even if I am half asleep ;). So hopefully my recovery methods will come into play and my 9 hours will be enough to feel on top of it and alive again. I think I might try to look forward to a spa when I get home, which will hopefully leave me fresh for the Bakery ride tomorrow.

Chasing Bunnies

Well, after re-naming the caption in my blog title I thought I had better explain.

It was 2006, I was riding in the CORC Easter solo only 24 hour race. This race is the solo race to do if you are going to do one, and this was my first time at the event, but second 24 solo.

I was there for the fun, just wanting to see how far I could push it. It so such a relaxed, no pressure, go at your own pace event, with great people out for a long hard ride. I was trying to keep consistant throughout the race and my tactic was working pretty well. I stopped once at about 1am for a hot chocolate, bigger than normal feed, and headed back out. Also at this stage it did start to get cold and it got down to about -6 that night. I kept pushing through, and tried to keep warm. Throughout those early morning hours I could hear the commentator calling me in saying hear comes Hugh, here is Hugh Hefner the man that is chasing down the bunnies. Hearing this every lap, being fatigued, I was a little confused until I worked out what he meant. I really had no idea of where I was placed but with the comment of, here comes Hugh I knew I must have been going well.

Kendra soon found out for me that I was in 6th place, and getting very close to 5th. I was stoked and it was nearly sun up. My legs were feeling good and keen to have a good crack when my lights came off. The light was here so came off came the lights, and off I went. During that lap I was watching what I thought fog come in, after all it was a cold morning. But the fog just kept getting worse, to the point that at the far top corner of the lap I knew it was not fog. The fog I could see was my cloudy vision, I was going through dips where I could just see the entrance and the trees at the exit it was scary. I was lucky I knew the course back to front and every little bump by that stage. I rode to the end of the lap, dumped my bike frustrated, to tell Kendra the bad news. Seeing only a few feet in front of me, but feeling really good physically I could not go out. I hoped they would get better but never did, the first aiders could not do anything.

I went back in 2007, the commentator remembered me, called me Hugh, I came home strong but did not perform as good but finished.

Lately, I have noticed there are alot of Rabbits/Hare's around the place, it seems like were having a bit of a plague, and these guys are huge. Kendra even has one outside her office window named Thumper. A few months ago I was riding home from work on my road bike, one came out onto the road. I had no time to react and before I knew it I had hit him, he throw me and the bike in the air, but luckly I kept it upright.

With what had happened it made me think back to Easter 2006, and being called Hugh, chasing down the bunnies. I guess that is what I have been doing the last 6, solo 24 hour races. This year I want to keep that reputation, but hopefully at a higher level.

So the moral of the story is: If you know if I'm behind you, careful I might just make you out as a bunnie and run you over ;).

Journey begins to the Worlds

It is pretty exciting, there was a release date and venue less than 48 hours ago, and with some quick action by Kendra and I we have registered and fully committed to the Event. This is going to be the biggest holiday I think we will ever have.
That is right we are planning on making this into a holiday as well as the Worlds. So far we are planning to arrive 1-2 weeks before the event, with some nice traveling and bike riding. Arrive in Canmore on the Thursday before the event, primed and ready to go for Saturday. Do my best to give everyone else a hard time out on the track, especially my age group. Stand on the podium ;). Then head back slowly to Vancouver for the start of a well deserved Cruise for 1 week.
This trip is going to be great Kendra and I have always wanted to go to Canada. We love the wildlife and mountains. We also want to do some dog sleding in there somewhere.
So alot of planning to do and money to spend. But it is going to be a trip never to forget.

Fatigue

Yep, absolutely stuffed. My first 3 weeks of training has come and gone and I am really happy to have a recovery week. Each week I have been finding it harder and harder to meet my power output targets and yesterday I just could not get out there to finish my week of training. Being called out to work 3 times over 4 days did not help, but after work I had to have a sleep. Woke up at 3pm in a bad state and just could not get out there for my ride.
The training has really been working for me, but I must admit I thought I would have been able to do better. But I know there was no way I could have, with the amount of fatigue that had set in.
So hopefully feeling stronger towards the end of the week I will do some new baseline testing, and get stuck into some more good quality training.