This fall was the one. The one, for someone from a unpredictable weather state such as Nebraska, to put in the base miles. The weather, from August through December, has been unpredicatably warm and dry. For Nebraska anything consistent is unusual. Living here all my life, I can see the patterns fairly well. Being a cyclist I’m always attune to this. With a wet spring and previous wet winter, there was going to have to be some balance. This past fall was that balance.
I started base miles in August. Lot’s of just riding around at endurance and tempo. Averaging around 20 hours per week of ” just riding around” isn’t for the weak of mind, especially for a working man with a full time job. At 6000 miles, from Aug- Dec, that’s what is called building.
Just from riding around and all these base miles my threshold has increased 10 watts. That’s significant for me considering how long I’ve been training, on a bike, and my age. I haven’t done a formal test for threshold. Based on my performance manager chart, training stress scores, how fast I’m recovering and rides at upper tempo I’ll push that threshold up 10 watts. When I start doing more efforts at threshold then I’ll make sure to do a test.
The next phase, I’m starting to build in more intensity, began the beginning of January. I’ve started to reduce some of the volume and adding in some subthreshold to threshold work. This can be one of the hardest phases to balance out. I’m still trying to keep in some longer days, at endurance/tempo, and working in 20 minute efforts once to twice per week. Starting out with 1 hour at sub to threshold efforts the first week and building up to 2-2.5 hours by week 5-6.
In this time frame, since August, I’ve been hitting the gym. I haven’t lifted in over 6 years. In certain coaching circles, there is a belief that you shouldn’t lift weights. So I listened and experimented with myself. I don’t think not lifting helps. Since I started lifting I feel more balanced and a stronger total body. Iweighed myself regularly, 158lbs, up 7lbs from last August of 2011 when I started lifting. I do the pinch test, regularly also, and it isn’t any fat. Last I had a body fat test was 7%. With ~ 6000 miles of endurance work on the bike from Aug- Dec this experiment of n=1 is confirmed.
My ultimate goal is Masters Road Nationals Bend, Or. Sept 5-9. The plan is to get in close to 50 races by that time. That’s going to be really difficult for someone who works full time and lives in Nebraska. Living in Nebraska, you have to travel, and that consumes a lot of time. It’s all about time for someone with a career and other obligations. One thing about me, when I set a goal, it’s all or nothing. One other thing, I’m not shooting for a top 10, top 5, or top 3. It’s that top step. I don’t doubt myself, hope or wish for things. I’ve got the tools and the know how. Now to find some time trials to race.
Dietary protein intake and specifically the quality of the protein in the diet has become an area of recent interest. This study determined the relationship between the amount of quality protein, carbohydrate, and dietary fat consumed and the amount of times the ~10g essential amino acid (EAA) threshold was reached at a meal, with percent central abdominal fat (CAF). Quality protein was defined as the ratio of EAA to total dietary protein. Quality protein consumed in a 24-hour period and the amount of times reaching the EAA threshold per day was inversely related to percent CAF, but not for carbohydrate or dietary fat. In conclusion, moderate to strong correlations between variables indicate that quality and distribution of protein may play an important role in regulating CAF, which is a strong independent marker for disease and mortality.
Are you tired, run-down, listless? The answer to your problem is probably not in a little brown bottle. It could be as simple as a good night’s sleep. But for 45 million Americans, that’s an elusive dream. Even worse, sleep deprivation, insomnia and untreated disorders such as sleep apnea are leading Americans down a slippery slope to early mortality, increasing their risk for obesity, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular problems. And that’s not even counting the danger of falling asleep at the wheel.
My Strength workout on Fri, 01/27/2012 at 12:00 AM. MY COMMENTS: Feel 9 Power phase
All leg work done fast concentric slow eccentric. During lunch 20 flights of stairs ascended and descended 2 at a time.
[Uploaded 1/27/2012 5:49:59 PM] Follow the link to view the workout
More evidence on lower intensity exercise to reduce body fat. I’m still not going to jump on the band wagon of HIT, high intensity intervals, causes more and quicker fat loss.
Abstract
Fatty acids FA as fuel for energy utilization during exercise originate from different sources: FA transported in the circulation either bound to albumin or as triacylglycerol TG carried by very low density lipoproteins VLDL and FA from lipolysis of muscle TG stores IMTG. Despite a high rate of energy expenditure during high intensity exercise the total fatty acid oxidation is suppressed to below that observed during moderate intensity exercise. Although this has been known for many years, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still not fully elucidated. A failure of adipose tissue to deliver sufficient fatty acids to exercising muscle has been proposed, but evidence is emerging that factors within the muscle might be of more importance. The high rate of glycolysis during high intensity exercise might be the “driving force” via the increased production of acetyl CoA which in turn is trapped by carnitine. This will lead to less availability of free carnitine for fatty acid transport into mitochondria. This review summarizes our present view on how FA metabolism is regulated during exercise with a special focus on the limitations in FA oxidation in the transition from moderate to high intensity exercise in humans.
How? I am not talking about any crazy new detox or latest diet. For many it can even be free. How do you achieve this mental state of bliss? It’s called a workout! Sitting at your desk all day hunched over in front of your computer is obviously not ideal for anyone’s mental or physical status.
When ever I see someone throwing up a “peace sign” I’ve got to say ” right on, man”. It was my trademark, as a kid, mostly from watching protestors on the news during the ’60′s. About every picture I’m in, as a kid, I’m throwing up the peace sign. I just had to post this pic. It is to hilarious. It has all the qualities: meaning, funny, bravado, and cycling.
All in all, remember were all just human. If you can’t disagree with your fellow man but also be able to compromise than we’re in a serious situation. Plus, a world where we all think alike is just not challenging. We are only here and alive because of our challenges.
