Anmore Tour - new PB!

Last night was another WTNC, fairly warm so the pace was slow. So I spent the first few laps attacking on the downhill ... lots of fun, pushed heartrate way up... Gave up when they rang the bell for the preem.

Then got dropped after another few laps. Got caught up with the cat 3's and dragged back to my group. Went to the front with Ryan and strongly suggested that the race was neutralized until we got back to the downhill...

Did one more attack and then let them go for the bell lap... just soft pedaled it to the finish..

Today was cooler (finally...) Out to do my Anmore Tour. Didn't have any strong expectations heading out, but realized on the first long climb (1.5km @ 8%) that I was feeling fairly strong and would probably be close to my PB for it. Didn't quite get there (9:10 vs about 8:30) but given that I hadn't bother to warm up and didn't really get serious for the first 4-5 minutes that wasn't too bad. Probably a PB for 2010.

1. Buntzen: 17:00 beating 17:20 (2007)
2. Whitepine: 33:45, beating 34:20 (2007)
3. Belcarra: 43:50 beating 45:20 (2007)
4. Burrard Thermal: 56:16 beating 57:30 (2009)
5. Aspenwood: 89:02 beating 90:00 (2007 & 2009)
6. Home: 94:55 beating 95:36 (2009)

I'll have to try this again next week with a proper warmup. In theory I was 40 seconds slow at the top of my first big hill on east road. But then pulled that all back plus some getting over to Buntzen. If I just matched my best time up that hill and maintained todays pace for the rest of the course that would get me down close to 94:15.

I reasonably sure that the Tuesday nighters are helping this. They are just 10x1minute L6/L7 intervals with about 90 seconds rest in between (unless you attack on the downhill...)

Also the Anmore Tour is repeated l-2 km hills and lends itself to doing a lot of standing up on the pedals doing L5-L6 efforts and then getting your breath back cruising down the backside of the hill to the next one.

This should help TT FTP etc. Although Time Trialing is more (almost all) aerobic, L4/L5 and not much standing up. We'll see how the Cypress HC goes on the 28th. There is also the BC TT on the 29th. May be able to sneak into that as well if there are no snafu's and I get enough volunteers. It will be the Warp Speed course, but two laps. So slightly longer than the Squamish course. Goal time would be 53:00. But my best time on the single lap is 26:47, so 53:00 for two might be a tad optimistic :-)

BCMCA Cedar RR - 3rd the hard way in blistering heat

It was a hot day... no it was a very hot day... hmm. Make that a VERY HOT day.

George McLaughlin and I did a park-n-ride. Race was at 12:00 so easy ride over to Cedar.

But it was hot (did I mention that it was hot already?) By noon over 30C.

Waiting for the race to start I finished off a 590ml sports drink to get pre-hyrdrated.

We started at a reasonable pace, about 38kmh. And caught most of the 60+ group (except Dave Mercer) in the second (of three 20km laps). We had whittled down our 9(10?) starters to 6 by then, and picked one additional person from the 60's.

I tried in the first two laps to get the pace up by getting off the front. But couldn't maintain a decent pace through the rollers. And no-one seemed to want to try and go with me.

Tried to stay hydrated, finishing off my second bottle on schedule halfway through the bell lap. But at that point started to feel the dreaded twinging in the calf. That continued and got worse.

Followed Bill and Chris in for the sprint but by then the twinging was more like a cramp. And when they started the sprint with 200m to go I pushed hard and it was like my legs turned into concrete...

I'm not sure if this is a heat or hydration problem. But this is the third or fourth time it has happened. All on medium to hard races in hot weather (Dove Creek last year, Metchosin a couple of years back.) Another data point from this year though. After only a short (15-20 minute) rest I had to dash to get back to the ferry. Had a bit to drink (one can of coke) and a couple of cookies. And then pushed hard to get to the ferry. And didn't have any cramping or twinges... Rode back in 30 minutes.

So I don't think it is effort, i.e. doing too much work. And it could be getting dehydrated. But I'm suspecting that it may just be getting over heated.

Looking at the power files later, average temp for the race was 35C.

Westwood HC - new PB 14:26

Last night's WTNC was slower but I made up for it by attacking on the downhill and then leading up the climb... but I paid for it by almost popping off the back. Heart rate not quite by almost off the chart with peak 10s 184 bpm, peak 1min 182 bpm and peak 2min 180 bpm.

Nominally anything over 180 means I have to recover at a corresponding lower rate below 180 for a similar amount time...

Tonight I did my Westwood HC route, 3.72km, 279m of climbing, 7.6% grade average.

Even with a slight delay for the (new) traffic light a third of the way up I still beat last years PB by 8 seconds, 14:25 vs 14:33. Power numbers up a bit as well, probably because I'm about 1-1.5kg heavier than this time last year.

I'll hopefully have time to do the Cypress HC in two weeks (the day before the BC TT which I'm acting as race director for so won't get to do.. :-( ). This ride indicates I should be able to take about a minute or more off of last years time (38:29).

But that is a mass start race, so the time you get depends a lot on getting on and staying on a good wheel. That said, last year, by the time we got to the last 1-2km, it was down to about 2-3 riders and if I recall, I popped with about a km to go, but had only one other rider with me (just behind by a bit) for the final 500m or so. I knew that the other couple of riders where in a (vastly) different age category and couldn't find the watts to stay with them as they pulled away.

Anmore Tour - L4

The skies looked threatening early in the afternoon, with distant booming of Thunderstorms. So I mentally changed gears from WTNC attendance to just riding locally IFF things looked better.

Well by 7:00 it did look better so I headed out for an attempt at a fast Anmore Tour.

Was within one minute of PB at Buntzen, then 45 seconds at Whitepine, Belcarra and Burrard Thermal. About two - three minutes getting home (97 minutes, PB is just under 95.)

Appears to be an NP-Buster ride. Best 60 minutes at NPavg of 295 watts, for 111 TSS, IF 1.053.

Probably didn't drink enough, only went through one bottle and dropped just about 3lbs. It was quite warm.

Stave Lake - social ride sort of

Headed out and did a VeloVet ride on Saturday. Now that the Albion Ferry is no more the meeting place is closer, Starbucks at Harris Rd in Pitt Meadows. Then out to Stave Lake and back along Dewdney. Lunch at Tim Hortons in Maple Ridge, then home.

Felt great, and shoulders where not too bad. I've been doing some exercises to get strength back up and that seems to be helping.

Heading home after lunch, about four hours in, definitely my longest ride this year, legs felt strong and fresh enough to climb up part of Westwood on the way home. Total TSS for the day about 250. On a base CTL that is only about 58...

Sunday I went out for a recover ride. Just a spin out around Ford Rd. Legs felt terrible, no strength, no push.. Definitely sore and out of energy after the ride on Saturday.