Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Create a new topic for yourself here and keep a record of your training, weight loss, goals etc.

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby Jack Hughes » 24 Jul 2014 08:24

CCS wrote:Are you just showing off that you live somewhere a bit hilly (some of us have to ride for a good 30 mins to even get to a hill!)?


Possibly. But possibly not. Which is why I have suggested this.

Although our tops are higher. So are the bottoms.

The repeats I did on Saturday - getting over 530m/h consisted of a 124m climb up then over, the a 94m climb, then down to the beginning again. Repeat 9 times.

I bit dull but effective.

Road surface makes a huge difference too, I have noticed. So batting along a rolling main road good get you there. You just need to go faster to get the 500m/hr in. This might be an effective strategy.
Omnia Vanitas

Immortal (for a limited tme).
User avatar
Jack Hughes
 
Posts: 11085
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:19
Location: God's own county

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby Jack Hughes » 28 Jul 2014 17:01

The big weekend end turned into a big day.

Thought I would have a crack at doing 3,500m (11,500 ft). Set the alarm for bright and early. So excited that I woke up well before. Big breakfast and off and out at 6:30am with a rough route in mind.

Still with the goal of averaging 500m/hr in mind, the 3,500m should take me 7 hours. So should be back for 13:30. A bit optimisitic that, as I forgot about 1) getting tired 2) needing to stop for refreshments.

Managed to keep things up until I hit Cragg Vale. It's just not steep enough - not so much for the climb, but for the descent afterwards... gentle hills, I can climb about 700-800m/hr, steeper ones 1000-1100m/hr. So, to make up, you need to be hitting -3000 - -4000m/hr on the descents. It was pretty difficult, in the wind, to get much over -1000m/hr going down the hill (barely averaging 30mph). By the time I had got to the bottom, I was already nearly 30 mins behind schedule. Threw in a few short sharp shockers and clawed a bit of time back, but by the time I got to my half way "lunch" spot (i.e. I had run out of all the food I had), I was starting to flag. In hindsight, the lost time was mainly all the stoppage... I ended up riding for 9:45 (instead of the 7 hours, moving time of just over 8 hours, so only really lost an hour in total to get 430.07m/hr for the whole ride). The really killer was the heat - well into the 30 degrees C by the afternoon, peaking at 33 degrees. The last hour was particularly hard - and probably took an hour and a half.

Still, 3,520 m on the clock, and in 132 km (80 miles). The most metres I have done in a day.

About 19 climbs, some a bit rolling (i.e. you could call them 2 or 3 climbs), largest ascent about 300m (cat 2). Lots of 3s and 4s. A few over 200m including some I hadn't been up. Just the one cobbled climb (although that in some ways was easier than the tarmac, as the cobbles weren't melting and creating extra drag!)

Over 8,800m of climbing in 7 days, and 7 rides (although 2 of those were just little trips on the tandem, so 5 "proper" rides.)

And the start sheet has come through for next Saturday (or this Saturday, depending on dialect).
Omnia Vanitas

Immortal (for a limited tme).
User avatar
Jack Hughes
 
Posts: 11085
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:19
Location: God's own county

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby jonathon.e » 28 Jul 2014 17:09

Excellent ride, well done, how are the legs, or did they just hand you a letter from their lawyer.?
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.
User avatar
jonathon.e
 
Posts: 3450
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 19:49
Blog: View Blog (17)

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby CCS » 28 Jul 2014 17:14

Great work.
TT will seem easy in comparison (so long as legs aren't protesting too much) - good luck!
Talking to myself and feeling old
User avatar
CCS
 
Posts: 3933
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:14
Location: Surrey

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby Jack Hughes » 04 Aug 2014 07:52

Did the plan work?

There were a number of motivations (objectives is perhaps too strong) for Saturday's TT

- prelude to the next tri, to try to develop a more informed pacing strategy.
- to work out whether my bike hill blitz had made any positive impact
- to get a second 25 in for the forum users bar (FUBAR)
- to capitalise on the fine weather before it ran out. This year has been particularly fast for TTs.

Theoretically, it takes three weeks for adaptations to complete after a hard training load. However, you start to notice the benefits beforehand, especially if you aren't that fit beforehand.

The strategy was climb the 8.800m over the seven days. Then have 7 days off the bike. While reintroducing an element of running. And doing a similar blitz on the swimming.

However, I was knackered. Only managed a couple of swims, and coupled with a long commute, by Wednesday I was starting to get really tired. Resting hr was well up - I was either fatigued or coming down with something. Binned the swim sessions on Thursday and Friday to try to recover.

By Saturday, the hr was almost down to normal levels.

Another objective was to test out the speedfil - which means fitting it and cutting it to size now I am just about happy with the position on the bike. Of course, this didn't happen, as I ended up getting home far too late to have any time for messing about. And I didn't want to get into a maundering situation on a Saturday morning.

The TTs that I did in Feb and April were plagued with awful weather. In the 25 I did a long 7. Three guys that did a 6, 8 and 9 all did another TT the following weekend, and did 1s and 2s. I felt that I had missed out a bit.

So, fine weather, a faster course, some intensive work in the legs, and I was hoping for something a big special.

Special turned out to be a full on storm. Oh well.

And the course was changed at the last minute as it was felt that the old one was a bit too dangerous (involved negotiating the busy motorway junction).

A nice hq at a cafe that had been commandeered for the day. A 6 mile ride out to the start though. I had driven through the storm on the way over the hills, but by the time I got to the venue, and reached the other side. But only, just, as it was closing in.

The edge of the storm meant that the wind was all over the place. Rather than sitting on the turbo in the car park, I used a low gear to spin out to the start - get the hr up, but not too tiring on the legs. And noticed that I covered a mile in 2:11 (25 mph is 2:24, 30mph is 2:00)!

I got to the start with 10 mins to spare. 8 minutes later the storm arrived. I was a bit wet and cold when I came to start.

The course was now up to a roundabout, turn, back to the roundabout at the start, and repeat.

Off we go. What has happened? In the eye if the storm, the wind had dropped completely. The rain was coming down almost vertically. It was just swirly. Lot of rain, thunder, lightening, water about 3 inches deep. No chance of aquaplaning on a bike though :). The storm based over when I was half way down the return leg. And the went then went crazy. It was like pedalling into a wall. Round the turn and now the wind was behind. Spinning out my 53x12. Could keep at 30mph without trying too hard. But with 6 miles into the head wind, this was no time to be taking it easy. Pedal and spin.

Took the turns very carefully. Great bunch of marshals "it's character building" during the storm. Then lots of glee as you turned into the headwind.

It was hard work. 2 miles to go and a 4 was in sight - if only I could do 2:50 for each mile. Not a chance. Mile 24 was done in over 3 minutes. Mile 25 was a little better. 1:05:26.

Points to note: I was number 43. I expected 45 to catch me at about 7 minutes as this usually happens. He didn't catch me until about 25 minutes. I expected 50 to catch me about half way. He didn't until about 45 minutes. I also caught a few people (mainly because of the 2 lap nature of the course). I caught 39 just before the half way point - but he packed at the turn. It's nice catching people as you know you won't be last. Except when they give up shortly after. Still, all this represented progress.

So. Did the plan work?

On an awful day (won on a 54) when everyone went back by at least a minute or their recent times, I moved my Pb on by nearly 2.5 minutes. Definitely something to be pleased about.

Might put an entry in for the slowest riders event in 24th - as I need a 10 time still. But not sure if that is really the right thing prior to the HIM.
Omnia Vanitas

Immortal (for a limited tme).
User avatar
Jack Hughes
 
Posts: 11085
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:19
Location: God's own county

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby CCS » 04 Aug 2014 09:19

Great work!
Of course you need to do a 10 - there is a massive gap on your BAR spreadsheet that needs to be filled!
Probably sensible not to fit the Speedfil in a hurry - I ended up with the drinking straw far too short on my road bike (though with the hidden benefit of having to get super aero every time I was thirsty!)
Talking to myself and feeling old
User avatar
CCS
 
Posts: 3933
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:14
Location: Surrey

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby Jack Hughes » 04 Aug 2014 09:22

and another thing, when I got back to the car, I managed to drain about 2 pints of water out of the frame... got to be a kg there!
Omnia Vanitas

Immortal (for a limited tme).
User avatar
Jack Hughes
 
Posts: 11085
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:19
Location: God's own county

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby IanM » 04 Aug 2014 10:16

Jack Hughes wrote:On an awful day (won on a 54) when everyone went back by at least a minute or their recent times, I moved my Pb on by nearly 2.5 minutes. Definitely something to be pleased about.


Excellent :)

Jack Hughes wrote:Might put an entry in for the slowest riders event in 24th - as I need a 10 time still. But not sure if that is really the right thing prior to the HIM.


Fancy the slowest 150 13/9? Or too soon after Sundowner? I'm leaning towards doing that, although if I go faster again before the event I probably won't get in...
User avatar
IanM
 
Posts: 3954
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 14:53
Location: West/East Mids border

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby jonathon.e » 04 Aug 2014 10:27

Excellent work. :D

Speedfill now!!!
You are taking this far too seriously now :o
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.
User avatar
jonathon.e
 
Posts: 3450
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 19:49
Blog: View Blog (17)

Re: Battle of the Dinosaurs - Race to Extinction

Postby Jack Hughes » 04 Aug 2014 10:55

IanM wrote:Fancy the slowest 150 13/9? Or too soon after Sundowner? I'm leaning towards doing that, although if I go faster again before the event I probably won't get in...



I've got until the 9th to decide on the one on the 24th. Otherwise, yes, the one on the 13th. Might be too soon. But there aren't really that many alternatives.

I'll probably bung an entry in for both (especially the one on the 13th if I don't get in on the 24th).
Omnia Vanitas

Immortal (for a limited tme).
User avatar
Jack Hughes
 
Posts: 11085
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:19
Location: God's own county

PreviousNext

Return to Training Logs

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests

cron