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Pump Up the Volume |
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Written by Vince
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Monday, 05 January 2009 16:27 |
I've always known more volume would be the direction I'd take but a recent Endurance Corner thread reinforced my belief. The thread was started by Alan Couzens and was just a simple request for people to post their 2008 numbers.
I initially thought it was just another attempt to brag about one's self but realized I could get some useful information out of it... and I did. Alan posted some numbers from a few of his athletes. What those numbers showed, is that the more hours an athlete trained, the better their overall Ironman time.
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First Ride of 2009 |
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Written by Vince
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Thursday, 01 January 2009 14:59 |
No matter where you live, there's some big hill that everyone rides that is a sort of rite of passage. Depending on where you live in the San Francisco Bay Area that could be any number of big hills but where I live in the "East Bay", that hill is called Mount Diablo.
"Mount Diablo occupies a unique geographical position on the boundary of the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley. On a clear day, views from its 3849 foot summit stretch more than 200 miles." - Save Mount Diablo
I don't know the exact mileage, 10.8, but the climb to the top is almost all uphill. The grade varies but nothing is too steep until the very last 100 yards which humbles most climbers.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 01 January 2009 15:13 |
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Group Therapy |
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Written by Vince
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Sunday, 21 December 2008 16:23 |
I've been focusing on cycling lately but as the weather gets uglier, I'm finding it difficult to get myself out the door. Yesterday was definitely one of those days with the temperature hovering right around 32 degrees. I know... some of you living in cold weather climates probably think that is spring-like weather but here in California, that's just downright cold.
On those really bad days, I consider what my competitors are doing. I like to imagine they are looking out the window at the cold or rain and deciding to bag the workout or opt for a trainer session. In my mind, the best way for me to improve my cycling is to ride outside. Yes, trainer sessions are a good substitute but it's much easier to fake riding on a trainer. Think about it like this, if you're increasing the intensity on a trainer and you decide you've had enough, you can soft pedal. But when you're outside on a steep hill and you've had enough, you can either fall over or continue riding up.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 21 December 2008 16:31 |
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Winter in Wisconsin |
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Written by Vince
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Monday, 29 December 2008 05:27 |
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My wife asked me if I wanted to spend Christmas with our friends in Wisconsin and I thought she was insane. Not realizing it was a rhetorical question, the flights were booked and we had plans for Christmas. As the day for our departure approached, the storms started rolling in along with the weather reports from our friends. One of the last messages we received stated it was 18 below zero with wind chill -- as if that were some sort of selling point. When we finally arrived, after a long day of traveling, the temperature was somewhere around the point of "Hell Freezing Over". I honestly don't know exactly what it was but it was beyond cold.
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Last Updated on Monday, 29 December 2008 05:38 |
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Plays Well With Self |
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Written by Vince
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Monday, 15 December 2008 14:22 |
I've been considering new methods for improving my cycling in the upcoming year and as a result of one of those adopted methods, I've decided to join a cycling team. The idea behind my decision is simple; I am more likely to push myself when riding with others. I joined the team this past October but I wanted to wait until after Silverman to start riding with them. But Silverman is over now and I went on my first ride with them on Saturday. The scheduled ride was a 65 mile loop with some climbing through some unfamiliar territory (for me).
When I got up Saturday morning and looked at the weather report, I was confronted with ugly news.... cold and a good chance of wet (rain). I tried to make an excuse not to go but none of them held up for long and I found myself in the car driving to the starting point. I arrived early and was greeted by the many uniformed riders. I ordered my uniform ("kit") back in October but it hasn't come in yet so I had on my regular cycling clothes. (Geez... I haven't even started the ride yet and I'm already an outcast.)
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