TR Training: Weeks 23-25

I've been pretty lax in my posting of weekly training data the past couple weeks, but I have to blame it on a combination of work and, of course, the fact that I was out of town for 11 days. I finally updated the stats on the column to the right to reflect the past couple weeks and I must admit that I've only ridden my road bike once in the past 3 weeks -- my lengthy roundabout trip home from the Honda dealership in Bellevue. That's going to change this week though, as I have two 100+ mile rides planned for this weekend.

Week #25 consisted of just one day of riding -- Day 3 of the Kokopelli Trail -- but nevertheless marked the first week in my "Base Transition" phase of my training. At this point in my training schedule, I'll be easing back on the percentage of time allocated to road riding and increasing the amount on the mountain bike. In reality I expect very little to change though as I have not been very dilligent in riding the road bike. I blame it on the winter weather and, well, because mountain biking is simply more fun. And more scenic. And now, as my Giant NRS could attest to if it were able to talk, I have the added excuse of it simply being really hard to leave a Moots in the garage to ride a Scattante. I need a bumper sticker for my sub-$1000 road bike that says "My Other Bike is a Moots" just so I don't get laughed at when I go to do STP this summer. Then again, I'd rather be the guy stomping people on the crappy bike than the guy getting schooled on the fancy one. Not to say that I'm going to be kicking butt at STP, but I do expect to hold my own amongst the one-day crowd.

And although my crotch is dreading it, the century and double-metric century I have planned for this weekend is going to aid in me being able to do just that. I just hope I can take these two rides easy enough so as to not leaeve me fried for next weekend's Spokane 24hr race.

Man, I go away on vacation, come back, and BAM! We're right in the middle of the racing season. And to think my TransRockies training plan is only 40 weeks long and I'm already on week 26. I'd say I'm getting scared but doing Kokopelli and feeling fresh afterwards has done wonders for my confidence. Bring it on.

1 comment:

Maarten said...

To be noticed at STP, you pretty much have to be on a recumbent tandem, a unicycle, a hand-cranked cycle, or on rollerblades. Or wearing wedding regalia.