One Race Chosen -75 miles of Mon-Tour 2011

Well, I have finally done it and signed up for my first bike race (at this time). It is the The Mon-Tour 75 Mile Race. It is a tough hilly ride through Central PA. Link to information is below:

http://web.me.com/earthscapes66/75_miles_/Home.html

The good thing about the race is I will be able to scout out the entire course and get some solid training rides on the course. The hills don't worry me at all. When I do get outside, you do not have many options but to attack a lot of hills on your rides. The roads out this way are very rural but pretty scenic. You ride along many creeks and farms. Once in a while, you do have dodge that Amish Buggy!! They are not always the best at moving out of the way. I will also have some of the Susquehanna University track & field team members to train with.Some of them are even thinking about starting a cycling club on campus. If they do go through with it, I will gladly act as their advisor. Some of the staff of Susquehanna University also ride and we will have official "Isle of Q" kits. They will look pretty sweet!

This first venture into bike racing will be a good training day for the TdO '11. For those wondering, here is a link for the TdO '11 Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/marty.owens13/posts/139378086132291?ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/event.php?eid=102042223193242

A lot more information regarding the actual event is there and more details to follow. So for now, the training gets serious and the motivation rises.

It is on now!!!!!!

Viva TdO '11 !!!!!!!

License in Hand & Base Complete! Let the Fun Begin!!

Well, you could not tell by the weather the past week, but spring has finally fallen over Central PA. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. This past week was a miserable start to spring. We had snow and rain in the middle of the week and no temperature above 40 throughout the weekend. Typically, this time of year it should be around 50-55 degrees in the Grove...... WTF????

Despite the minor flaw in the weather I am psyched for the remainder of spring and the races to come in the next few months. As I write this entry, I am sitting here watching the The Criterium International and relaxing with a nice fresh beer!! To motivate myself even more, I received my USA Cycling License last week. It is time to truly get serious especially not that my 12 week base building phase is now complete.

For what I can tell, it has been a good 12 weeks of training. I am looking forward to getting outside and on the hills of Central PA. My legs feel tremendously strong but need to test them on the hills more often. I did feel incredibly strong on the hills last weekend but need to hit the real roads more often now that spring is supposedly here. I think the training totals for this phase of training have me set for the next phase of training: Building Phase!!! Time to get into more intense workouts and race specific workouts. Hopefully be able to find a race or two to do in late April and May during some of the down weekends of coaching. Also time to get back on to building up the cyclocross bike!

Latest training totals:

Week - 7 rides/ 196 miles/ 8hours 48minutes/ 22.30mph
March - 27 rides/ 879 miles/ 39hours 55 minutes/ 22.10mph
Year - 86 rides/ 2843 miles/ 128hours 19minutes/ 22.10mph

This week will be a tough week for weather yet again. Below average temperatures and snow/rain forecasted for the end of week. At least all the mind and ass numbing time on the trainer, will have me mentally prepared for the long rides on the roads then are ahead of me. Hopefully the next few blogs will involve specific dates of the race schedule for the 2011 season.

TdO 11!!

Base Almost Complete!! 11 Weeks Down 1 To Go! CAT 5!!!

I never thought this stretch of training would end. As necessary as it is to build that base, it can be some of the most boring training in the world. I know there are many more longer rides ahead of me but at least I can look forward to doing these rides outdoors especially as spring begins. I was able to get outside both days this weekend and it felt so good. It may have been chilly but it was definitely bearable. It also felt good to get back on the hills. If you are familiar with this area of Central PA, there is nothing but a ton of hills once you leave the river valley.

I am looking forward to the change in training focus after this last week of base training. This week is a recovery week with less volume before heading into race specific training. In anticipation, I even purchased by racing license from USA Cycling. I am looking forward to a spring and summer of races, but of course starting off as that CAT 5 rider!!!!! Now I need to find time to seriously start putting this race schedule together. It will be tough through April as my teams will be competing every weekend until April 30-May 1.

This week's training was very solid on the bike. I am very happy with the hours and miles that I have been able to put on the bike in the past 11 weeks. Getting outside the past two days has motivated me going into the Building Phase of my training. Surprisingly, I was happy with the ease at which the hills felt the past two days and the ability I had to maintain a high cadence up the hills. One thing about my cycling (even back to my triathlon career), I have always rode with a high cadence. New totals for training after this week:

Week - 7 rides/ 243 miles/ 11 hours 14 minutes/ 21.70mph
March - 20 rides/ 683 miles/ 31 hours 7 minutes/ 22.00mph
Year - 79 rides/ 2647 miles/ 119 hours 31 minutes/ 22.20 mph

The weather is not looking great for this week but there seems to be a 2-3 days that I should be able to venture outside again. The goal for this week is just 8.5-9.0 hours on the bike. With hosting a 17 school meet this week, having a week where training is reduced is a good thing. Then the training really gets serious and the tainted beef eating begins in preparation for the TdO '11......(HA HA!) What also helps in motivation is that the cycling race season is getting underway with many of the classics coming up......Paris-Roubaix!!!!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/paris-roubaix-his

Rain, Snow, Rain, Myrtle Beach and Now Back to Reality!!

What a fun & crazy week!!

A trip to South Carolina with the team for a huge 31 school meet at Coastal Carolina University. I was able to be there for the final 4 days and enjoyed a nice break from the miserable winter that we have been having here. Just last Sunday, we had 2 inches of rain throughout the day that turned into 10 inches of snow over night. Later this week, we also had a day of 3 inches of rain on Thursday that has caused some good flooding along the river.

Training is still on track and going extremely well. I did not miss a beat on the bike but did not quite get to my time goal of 11.5 hours. I did manage 10 hours 50 minutes with all the travel back & forth to South Carolina. This week looks like I will get outside for the first time in Pennsylvania since November. I can't wait......I have some gear for chilly mornings that I have been wanting to use. The fitness level on the bike is starting to go through the roof with completing 10 weeks of base. I have 2 more weeks of base training then training begins to get really intense. New training totals:

Week - 7 rides - 238 miles - 10hours 46minutes - 22.20mph
March - 14rides - 477miles - 21hours 33minutes - 22.10mph
Year - 73 rides - 2441 miles - 109hours 57minutes - 22.20mph

This week I am hoping to push the 12 hour barrier on the bike. With the team off from competition for two weeks, it should be a bit more calm for getting back into the weight room. I do need to add some running back into the program especially if I plan some cyclocross races at the end of the year. I did run one day while down in SC and my legs were dead for 3 days. It was my first run in 8 weeks and I more than double my mileage for the year. I have 7.5 miles of running for year which is quite a drastic change for a person who normally ran over 3000 miles a year.

TdO 2011

9 Inches of Snow Yesterday - Spring Break???

Yesterday part of the team left for Myrtle Beach and the annual Susquehanna University Track & Field Spring Break adventure. I will join the team on Wednesday as I have yet another doctors appointment Tuesday before I can head down there. The team loaded the bus in a drizzle and about 50 degrees and were headed to 57-60 degree weather. In Selinsgrove, it rained hard all day and I believe we had 2+ inches of rain. About 4-5pm yesterday, the rain freakishly turned to a heavy snow and dumped 9 inches of snow on us. Is it Wednesday yet?? I am so tired of this winter. Will I ever get outside to ride??? I am so motivated to get this cycling season under way!

Despite the crazy weather and meeting schedule at work, training is going amazing well. I have never felt stronger on the bike. And to help with motivation, I get daily coverage of the Paris-Nice Race on Versus!!! The Epic Cycle begins again!!

This week I had a solid week on the bike getting my time goal on the bike. I am still being lazy with the weight training but it has yet to hurt bike biking but I know I need to get back in there. I am hoping to get in there tomorrow prior to leaving for SC on Wednesday. Of course, I will be taking bike to SC to hopefully get a few rides in sunny 60 degree weather!! I am still working on a base but getting two solid "workout rides" each week. The main focus for me during this stretch has been time on the bike since it has been years since I trained seriously on the bike (last triathlon was 1998). New totals for training:

Week 9 - 7 rides/ 235 miles/ 10hours 37minutes/ 22.20mph
March - 6 rides/ 202 miles/ 9hours 7 minutes/ 22.20mph
Year - 65 rides/ 2166 miles/ 97hours 31minutes/ 22.20mph

This week the goal is to get close to 11.5 miles. Now with traveling to Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, it may take some extended rides early in the week and some fancy scheduling later in the week but I will get it done. Then when I return I can start to look at getting into the small early season races to get some experience in race situations. Hopefully forecast for SC will stay the same and give the members of the team that are there a great track & field experience. Updates to follow!!

TdO 2011 - The Epic Cycle!!