[The Toninator]

Ok it’s not really a secret but I’ve been kind of burnt out for a while. I still love riding I just haven’t been into "training." But for the last month I’ve been pushing myself with TWO trainer classes a week plus mtb during the week and riding and practice races on the weekends. I've felt kind of stagnate for awhile like I’m not progressing any (although I know for a fact my competition has been busting there asses getting better in an effort to beat me.)
So my club has a ride on Saturday mornings and I decide to do it at the 38 mile, 16 to 18 mph pace. I know I can do that pretty easily but still push myself during the ride with sprints and intervals and such. So two of my mtb teammates show up unexpectedly and they say they’ll ride for as long as they can keep up, right liars. We start out in a really big group and the almost immediately catch up with the 18 to 20 mph group. My friends, both female btw whom I ride often off road with, get board because the pace is starting to lag because we are in such a big group. So boom they start to sprint from the BACK of the pack and I instantly jump in and we easily go off the front. A bunch of people follow. We start to settle into a nice pace of 20 to 21 mph and a double pace line. I quickly move to the front and start to pull. The guy next to me starts to talk saying he’s a track guy trying to improve his fitness. It really show’s, that he’s a track rider because his stroke is really choppy and sporadic and his movements are twitchy and unpredictable. Almost immediately one of the “pack elder’s” pulls him aside and starts to politely give pointers on not killing the people you ride with, that’s the last I saw him and thank dog for that. Anyhoo the spin classes I have been taking have been focusing on strength on day and speed the second. Each time somebody decided to make a break and it looked like a good one I instantly jumped in and PASSED them, eheheheh. Everybody ended up dropping back into the pack because they new they couldn’t catch me. Half way I stopped and waited on my two friends, they were only behind by a bit, and most people stopped for water but we kept going. A break started and looked strong so my friend Gail and I jumped in and started spinning, 53/16 or so and about 25 mph. Wow I was thinking this is the fastest I have ever ridden consistently for this amount of time. After a while Gail and I decided to drop off to 20mph to wait on our other friend. I was thinking even though I dropped I totally could have kept up. After the ride I was talking to some of the people who were trying to make the breaks. They said “ that one by the rest stop we though we had it and then out of no where there you were.” He said he was going to try to catch me but he took one stroke and knew I was gone. I didn’t want to make him feel bad but they did ‘eventually’ catch me but that was when I stopped to wait on my friends. Heheh. I got lots of complements afterwards. Especially on my pace and steadiness when pulling.
So this was the fastest ride I have ever done at this mileage. We finished 1:57:00 at 19.6 mph average. I know had I hung with that other group I could have averaged at least 21 maybe 22. So I’m feeling a little rejuvenated and believe that the training is starting to pay off. Now I just need to see that transfer over to my mountain biking.
t

 

[I Are Baboon]

Go on with your bad self, Tony! Feels good to have all that training actually make a difference, eh?

 

[mario]

Way to go! Sounds like a pretty good training schedule, with strength, speed and endurance. Maybe you just need a little more variety and/or challenge? I know riding can start to get boring when you do the same old thing every day. And I don't know how you can do spin classes. I get bored out of my head! On the other hand, the results sound impressive. Maybe this winter...

 

[Gee]

In all sports training, MOTIVATION is the only thing that matters. If you have MOTIVATION everything else falls into place. That probably sounds obvious.

My current focus is on keeping MOTIVATION high. It is not easy at all. Dieting can be depressing so live a little every now and then is good for MOTIVATION, but eat too much and poor performance leads to dissatisfaction and low MOTIVATION.

Your and my mission: Be aware of motivation. And, try to keep it high.

MOTIVATION is more important than DIET, TRAINING DISTANCE, TRAINING INTENSITY, etc. Sacrifice those to keep MOTIVATION high if necessary.

 

[Serial Midget]

Two of us did a road ride last night. At mile 25 we were at 19.8 but by the time we hit 36 and finished we were at 19.5 Sometimes you just don't have it. I was bummed because I felt we should have finished over 20!!! Next time.

I am working on spinning too, my natural spin is too slow. It has been hard to work up to and maintain 90/95 for 90 minutes. For now it has cost me speed but I know it will be good for me in the long run.