Tempo Stops

BY KENNETH LUNDGREN

Today I wanted to do steady stuff on the TT bike, just cruising. I specifically designed a flat route — FLAT!!! — that had minimal stops. I thought I was a genius…

Heh, 30m into the ride, I’m flying up to these railroad tracks, and of course the crossing bars come down — the Amtrak rips by. Stop for a minute. La la la la.

Then I’m off. Less than three minutes down the road, an 18-wheeler had jacknifed itself in the middle of the road while trying to back into a driveway — and there’s a creek on both sides with guardrails — absolutely no way to pass.

So I turn around, laughing to myself. It’s like something out of a movie!!! I’m going back to the tracks, and magically the crossing bars lower again as I approach — time for another Amtrak. So much for NO STOPS!!! Ehhhh…

Other than that, good day. Rode steady on flat, flat course, keeping the cadence pretty high. My hip gave me no pain. My problem during tempo is that near the end, you find the zone, your brain numb and legs ready to go, and you’re flying but very close to your LT. Looking at the graphs afterwards is very helpful!

So today I kept it steady steady steady. I try to keep my HR below 160, and today it showed: I spent 54m at 155-160 HR. Sometimes it’s hard to put a leash around your neck, but it’s rewarding after the ride when you’re looking at the data — a straight yellow line from beginning to end. That’s all I wanted!!!

The power is good. I’ve never done steady flat-only stuff on TT bike before, and I’m happy it’s comparable to when I tackle rolling terrain. Sometimes, in my mind, the flat stuff is harder because it’s so steady…

Tanita: 156.5 pounds
Ride Time: 1h 40m
Norm Watts: 229
Distance: 38 miles

Avg. Watts: 220
Max Watts: 568
HR: 158 bpm
Cadence: 104 rpms
Speed: 22.1 mph

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Coach's Diary | Wednesday, December 20th, 2006 | | |