Gold Star for me and Marcelle

Marcelle is the Madone, and she's taken me on quite a ride these last 3 months. I finally finished base training - 12 weeks of cycling training for a large amount of time in specific heart rate zones. I told my Mom I was almost finished and she said, then what? You get a gold star? So yeah, gold star for me.

As I wrote a while back, the idea is to use the heart rate monitor and apply your cycling training in targeted HR zones. For me, Z1 121-140, Z2 142-153, Z3 154-162, Z4 163-174, Z5 175-185. Most of base training is 10% of the time in Z1, 60% in Z2, 15% Z3, 15% Z4. It varies a bit as the weeks go by, but that's the bulk of it. Now for the times - Week by week, it's the number of hours that gets progressively harder with every 4th week a rest week: 5, 7, 9, 4. Then the next set of weeks: 6, 8, 10, 5. Then the third set of weeks: 7, 9, 11, 6.

I'm on that last week now, with the 6 hours, so no problems finishing that out. That 11 hour week was a killer! I rode over 200 miles last week and all on the road. When I started out I had to get a lot of time on the rollers indoors, or in spin class. Now with longer days and daylight savings, I can ride after work. Mile after mile - a few rides by myself, but mostly group rides with great company from my GCBC riding buddies. I'd plan a ride, post it on the message board, and someone was always there. All except the snow day, and one long solo ride on a Thursday. Sometimes, they think I'm crazy.

So now my legs feel like rocks. Still a little fat to spare, but I've lost 8 pounds since New Years and all my clothes either fit or are too big. I have not been sick a single day since before Christmas. My lungs feel stronger and clearer than ever in my life. Here's a big one -- no injuries or overuse problems. Had a hint of trouble with my right knee towards the end, but I think I held it off by paying attention to my position on the bike. I've kept up with yoga and a little Pilates, but not a lot of strength training. Now I need to get back into that.

The rest weeks are the most amazing thing. It's like you're coming out from a load, becoming refreshed, renewed, reenergized. The body takes this progressive stress and adapts day by day, but then to have this period of less stress is so important.

Trusting the training plan... that's an important part and it takes a lot of the mental stress and second-guessing away from what you might usually have. You don't have to wonder, am I working hard enough? Riding too much? Should I rest more? You just plan your rides to fill the zones and times you need, and trust the plan.

OK so now what. I have endurance and aerobic capacity, now I build power and speed on top of that "foundation". Build phase follows base phase - less riding, but more intensity. I should start to see some payoff and get faster, if I do harder rides and more specific drills like speed intervals and hill repeats. I also need to retest my "LT" heart rate - that's what the zones are based on. The highest average HR you can ride and sustain for 3 miles, twice. I measured it New Years and it was 174. Now I need to measure it again, maybe this coming Sunday. As for riding, right now I can ride solo for 50 miles at 18 or 19 mph average. I want > 20. The hard rides and the racing events have started for the year.... I just want to see a marked improvement, and not push myself to injury in trying to get faster. That and get below 150 pounds. I came so close! Saw 150.2 on the scale one day. Now I'm back around 153, but I want to get to 145. I'm patient, though. And happy with where I am now. NEVER so appreciative of my body and health as I am now. It's not perfect, and I have no desire to pursue perfection! I think it can limit you. Spend time trying to be perfect, and you don't have time to be great and find new heights. Perfection has limits, greatness does not.

Mountain Biking at Bethel

As if I needed a new outdoor activity... made 2 trips lately to Bethel Trails to ride Mountain Bikes with the GCBC. First time, I got beat up pretty bad as I wiped out 3 times, each time when I hit sand and lost control of the bike. Second time no wipeouts and an enjoyable ride through the woods. I like it... I do! Now THIS is something Dale likes to do too, and it's a lot of fun up there with a good group of folks and some Tato Nut donuts. I'm there in the group photo 3rd from right.

Battle on the Bayou

March 6, 2010

Perfect weather, great starting location, awesome paddle, fabulous time at the Shed at the end. I did well but could have pushed a BIT harder and done it in under 2 hours. I think my time was 2 hours 3 min - 33/125 overall, 10th in my K1>15 class. I was having fun!

I can't believe what a fantastic job the event organizers did for a first time event. Party the night before at Front Beach, all the logistics covered, prizes, halfway point rest stop, GREAT start and end location.

A friend took some neat pictures from the Ft Bayou bridge looking down on the kayaks. I'll upload when I get copies.

Last Serious Training Paddle Before the BB

Feb 27, 2010

About 8 miles, with a few hard efforts. Actually got in one hard effort in the previous post in the easy 3.5 miles when we sprinted back to the dock. I felt that in my upper body and felt stronger this next time. Training works for paddling too!

We went up towards the otter again but had already gone looking for the birds and daylight was fading. Timing worked out nicely going back into the sunset. I love that.

Buddha said "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” The moon came up before the sun went down. The moon was one day away from being full. They keep coming back around! Another chance to admire... another chance to appreciate... another chance to feel the shine. Every day, you get to see them again.

Liesure Paddle, Bayou Trois

Feb 20, 2010

South from the dock to the third Bayou on the west side of the bay... 6 kayaks headed towards the causeway.

Paused for a photo. and went back.

A nice 3.5 miles... fun group.

Another Training Trip

Very much the same track as the last paddle. Starting out, it seemed the wind was going to be mild and kind, but it picked up in time to provide headwinds on the way back. Coming back across the bay, it was a crosswind, but was every bit as hard as going straight into it. Maybe it seems hard because it's at the end of the trip.

Didn't intend to go 9.3 miles but glad we got in enough to build some confidence that we can go 12 miles in the upcoming event!



Lots of birds out today. This seems to be one of the best times of year to see birds. As I've noted before, they seem to have a sense of entitlement and domination in the winter... like it is their world. In the spring and summer, they take a lesser role and live within the greater diversity. One of the otters showed up again. It's going to be very difficult to get a good picture, but I'll keep trying. It swam ahead for a ways, then turned around and popped its head up, looking at me to determine what I was and which direction I was headed, I think. Then it was gone.

I'm mixing in the paddle time with a lot of cycling and an occasional run. This paddle was Saturday and did that after a 5k run in the morning. Then rode 70 miles the next day, and going out to ride another 50 today. But after this hard trianing week I have a rest/recovery week. I like those - when you follow the plan you really feel like you earn it. And as many of the cycling books describe, it's when you REST that your fitness improves. Stress, recover, come back stronger.

Mud and Otters - 8.3 miles

What do you get when you go kayaking with an Adventure racer... Adventure!
On the right side of the GPS track at the bottom, you can see a loop. On the way out, we decided to cut the loop and portage over "land". Which turned out to be MUD. Lots and lots of mud. The swamp grass was not actually as hard to get through as I would have thought, and if you keep your feet near the base of the grass, it's pretty solid. There's really not much indication from the surface which mud will hold your weight and which mud will sink you to your knees. Fortunately I didn't sink that far, although David did a time or two. If I had, there's no way I would have got my shoes back. I almost lost them a several times... cheap water shoes. Anyway, it was hard work. At the end, David did a bobsled kind of a run though the mud (see picture), but I couldn't get my kayak to turn and didn't have the upper body strength to wrench it around. So back to the mud/grass for me... and finally, back to the water.

The water was nice enough except for a few places on the way back, fighting about a 12 mph wind across the bay. Brutal! My arms will be sore for a couple of days, no doubt!

I wish I got some otter pictures. First we saw one. An alligator? A nutria? No, this one's an otter! Little head with ears poking up. Back swooping over as it dives back down. Head poking up again. Then it pulled a disappearing act. We paddled down a little further... then, three otters! Swoop, dive, tail flipping up. Head poking up, looking back at us. Two heads. Swoop, dive, flip. Swim, swim, swim... dive. Head poking up. Whee! They swam for quite a while, checking us out. Finally they kept to our right and went back behind us. Could it be a mom and two little ones? They all looked about the same size.

I wasn't cold, suprisingly. No gloves, wet feet. The PFD kept me nicely insulated and I had a windbreaker on with two layers underneath. Grey, cold, windy day... who would have thought it would be a fun day to paddle? But it was.