Category Archives: Cycling

Totals: May 2011 Training

Posted on by

Here we are….poof, May is done.  And it looks like we might be getting some better weather, and this past month was somewhat of a mixed bag for training.

Swimming:  This should have been in the 22k yard range, but it’s not, why?  In the last week and today, my pool has been closed because the ceiling tiles are falling.  Not sure when it will reopen but it looks like I may have to look for an alternative.  I did order a wetsuit so hopefully I can get in some open water swims in the next couple weeks.  So this is up 13% from last month, but down approx. 14% of where it should have been.  Shooting for 20k yards for June.

Running: Another disappointment in a real bad way, and it showed at the duathlon last week.  I’m going to have to pick this up or it’s going to screw up all my races.  Down 16% from April, down approx. 30% from where it should have been.  Very bad. :-|  Shooting for 110k for June.

Biking: This was the only positive of the month, and it was needed considering the lack the previous months.  I predicted 300-400 kms for May, but managed 500k.  But my longer rides on the weekends have been with the road bike, not the TT bike.  I need to start doing the longer rides with the TT bike to get use to being in the position for longer than an hour.  Up 300% from April.  Shooting for 600k for June.

 

Totals: April 2011 Training

Posted on by

Unbelievable as it may seem, another training month is done.  Volume could have been worse, but it also could have been better.

Run is on par to what I expected since the 30k race was done, I was expecting to be lower, but not 36% lower.  This should come back up a little for May, closer to the the 110k mark.

Swim is a little disappointing though.  I was expecting to at least be on par with March, but a few weeks I only managed to get to the pool 3 time instead of 4.  So that volume was down 16%.  Again, for May this should be back up to at least March levels.

Biking: I knew there would be a big spike with the warmer weather showing up (sort of), but I was hoping for more.  But, considering we’ve had rain on 80% of the days in April, I guess I can’t complain.  From what I’ve seen so far, my bike fitness hasn’t drop too bad and should recover fairly quickly once I can start logging some miles consistently.  I expect 300-400 kms in May.

 

Totals: March 2011 Training

Posted on by

Another month of training in the books, and overall it was pretty good.  A little light on the cycling side which should change this month now that the weather is starting to improve and I also have a 60k mountain bike race in less than 3 weeks…yikes!

Extremely happy with the swimming volume.  I have almost as many yards done in March than in all of 2010 at 20,050 yards, or 11.4 miles, or 18.4 kms.

Run volume is on par considering I was training for the 30k race.  Run volume in April should be a tad lower.

 

PRODUCT REVIEW: Turbo Crank

Posted on by

For many of us that live in the northern hemisphere, or for some that have started training for the upcoming triathlon season and need to get a very early morning bike session, we have to turn to our bike indoor trainer to work on our fitness while the snow flies outside.  Some just ride with some kind of plan in their heads which is sometimes not very productive, some get cycling DVDs, others have fancy & expensive CompuTrainer setups.  Well, if you’re looking for some structured plans, there’s something else available and for the price, the value can’t be beat.

Turbo Crank is a FLASH based program that you simply download and run on to your PC or MAC computer.  It was created by Joe McNamara; a cyclist and triathlete that has over 20 years of indoor training experience.  The program includes 12 different workouts; 5 Endurance, 1 Form, 2 Power,  2 Climbing, 1 Sprinting, and also a Ladder Interval.  (Click Here for PDF preview) They’re all designed to keep you motivated and keep you on track as it tells you exactly where you should be, which gear you should be in, and how hard you should be working.  And because it’s computer based, that leaves your DVD & TV free to watch whatever you want as you workout with Turbo Crank.

So far I’ve personally completed 4 of the Endurance, and 1 Power workout.  The interface is very user friendly as all the information you need is laid out on 1 screen.  After every workout, my legs were burning, and sweat was plenty and best of all, I felt I had accomplished something.  These workouts will work for all cyclists, yes even mountain bikers.  You can never have too much power in your legs for mountain biking, and working through the power workouts over the winter will definitely give you a head start on the competition.

Main Screen

Also, I contacted Turbo Crank support on a couple occasions, and the response was quick and helpful.

The equipment you’ll need is a bike with an indoor trainer, even a stationary bike could do the job if that’s what you have.  Optional equipment is a heart rate monitor and a cadence sensor for the bike.  Although it’s optional, it’s highly recommended to get the most of the program and to really target your workouts.  Here’s a great video created by Turbo Crank on how to maximize your Turbo Crank experience:

One of the best parts of this great program is the price;  For only $19.99 you get the variety of 12 great workouts.  That’s typically price of ONE cycling DVD.  Personally I find this to be great value, and these days, you can never get enough.

I have a little surprise for everyone reading – Post a reply to this review letting me know what kind of program you currently follow with your indoor trainer and what your goals are for the upcoming season.  Everyone that comments, your name will be added to a draw that will be made on January 10th 2011 @ 8 PM EST. The winner will receive a copy of the latest Turbo Crank program for FREE! So make sure you use your real name and email address when submitting a comment.  (Your email address will not be visible to anyone but me, and I only use the email address to contact you if you’re the winner.  I will not be giving out the email or names to anyone.)

Finally, make sure you visit the Turbo Crank website for all the details, and also a free test drive of one of the workouts can be seen HERE.  You can also find them on FACEBOOK!


2010 Recap

Posted on by

Well, today is the last day of 2010 and it’s time evaluate the year.

The first 3 months of 2010 is when I started my endurance training.  Reading various books & websites on multisport got me pointed in the right direction and helped me stay injury free.  The fat kept melting off, my endurance got better, although I never got the swimming down like I wanted to and wasn’t comfortable enough to do any of the swims for the triathlons.  That’s when I decided to switch to duathlons instead.  Learning & building endurance in 3 different disciplines was simply too much at the time.  So I focused on running & cycling and building on those disciplines.  I did a 3k, 5k, and 10k race in those first 3 months which was enough to get me hooked on physical competition.

For the following months, I continued my weight loss & building my endurance.  My weight loss peaked in mid-May at 189 lbs.  In May & did my first multisport event; a sprint duathlon in Waterloo.  It went way better than I could have imagined, and I was very happy with my performance.  The 2nd multisport event was the Welland duathlon in June.  Again, I was extremely happy with my performance, found some weaknesses to work on.

The following summer months I discovered a new hobby; mountain biking.  Out of the blue, I registered for a 50k mountain bike race (Lake 2 Lake Classic) using a borrowed bike from a friend.  Without any experience, I managed a very respectable finish, and again, I was hooked.  Through the summer I kept mountain biking, trying to build my technical skills, also did the Canal Days Mountain Bike race in August.  For the remainder of the summer I was also training for my upcoming half marathon scheduled for September.  Throughout the summer, my diet was not perfect.  I indulged in the summer festivities and BBQs but I have no regrets as my weight was still “normal”, I was the healthiest and fittest as I ever was in my life, and enjoying life.

September was the last race month.  I did the half marathon, beat my 2 hr finish goal by 6 mins and felt good afterwards.  The following weekend was the final race of the year for me; the Liberty Squeezer 30k mountain bike race.  The race went somewhat well, but it was apparent my cycling fitness had diminished, and also my weight gain over the summer months had taken it’s toll on my performance, and also a flat tire with 5k to go.

The following months up to this point involved simply maintaining my fitness, and trying to lose the weight I had gained in the 2nd half of the year.  I was successful in maintaining the fitness, but having a hard time focusing on the diet & losing the fat.

In December, I started formal training for the 30k Around the Bay road run race, and also restarted my swimming, and so far so good.

With all that said, here are the 2010 training totals;

  • Bike: 85h 48m 53s – 2025.93 kms – 1256 miles
  • Run: 97h 25m 37s – 990.64 kms – 614.2 miles
  • Swim: 19h 47m 15s – 25436.68 Yd – 14.4 miles
  • Strength: 33h 30m
  • Elliptical Training: 5h 57m
  • P90X: 13h 50m 01s
  • Rowing: 52m
  • Stair Running: 4h 10m

For 2011, I have a very busy race schedule and I can’t wait to start crossing the beams.  I will be refocusing my diet & fat loss to meet my racing weight goal of 185 lbs/12% body fat.  The culminating race will be the Muskoka Ironman 70.3 triathlon which I have a goal of finishing under 6 hrs.  Very doable with the scheduled training program I have lined up.

Here’s wishing everyone out there a Happy & Prosperous New Year!  Set your goals & follow through.