Showing posts with label training camp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training camp. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Time to bare the fruits of Spain.....FTP Testing Time!
After a solid month including a training camp in Spain over the holidays it was time to test the Functional Threshold again......next post to detail how it went!
Sunday, January 8, 2017
December 2016: Training Ramblings......Spain!
December was the real start of getting some base training in prior to the New Year and kicking off the 2017 season. The last part of the year had been minimal in terms of "training" more of just "exercising" so some structure was needed and in a twist of fate it also coincided with an unexpected Christmas trip to Spain to visit Sarah's parents. Unfortunately Sarah's Dad had been diagnosed with cancer in the Fall and it was a good time to head out and help them out as well as visit for the holiday period. Too many cooks in the kitchen and all that meant that Sarah took her parents to the daily treatments while I headed out on the bike for a few hours. Although having visited the Costa Blanca on a number of occasions in recent years, this was the first time that I had decided to rent a bike and get some serious mileage in.....a training camp of sorts! The bike left a little to be desired but for less than $100 for the week, an aluminium frame with 8-speed shimano served me just fine especially as I ended up abusing it for over 350 miles in that week.
As the photos below show I had a great time riding and was able to ride a different route every day with some variety each day. The Costa Blanca south of Alicante doesn't have any real mountains but has some decent elevation if you go looking for it as well as some great rolling roads through rural villages with very minimal traffic. With it being late December the temperatures started off in the low 50's and ended up at the mid-60's by the middle of the day.....would I go back for a more riding here even if the in-laws weren't here, for sure!
So the week away gave me a great boost of not only riding a ton but being in Spain with Sarah....perhaps three of my favorite things! Onwards and upwards as we move into the New Year and 2017 goals!
What I am drinking this month:
December 2016 Total: 757miles/53hrs 17mins/2825 TSS
Swim: 4.5m/2hrs 20mins/ 152 TSS
Bike: 667m/39hrs 42mins/ 1803 TSS
Run: 85.8m/10hrs 55mins/ 849 TSS
As the photos below show I had a great time riding and was able to ride a different route every day with some variety each day. The Costa Blanca south of Alicante doesn't have any real mountains but has some decent elevation if you go looking for it as well as some great rolling roads through rural villages with very minimal traffic. With it being late December the temperatures started off in the low 50's and ended up at the mid-60's by the middle of the day.....would I go back for a more riding here even if the in-laws weren't here, for sure!
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| Recovery Day coffee ride to Catrel |
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| Orange groves everywhere |
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| Rural roads without cars for miles |
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| Does it goes to 11? Nope just the 8 speeds! |
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| Good and empty roads |
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| This was the day I saw Pro rider Edvald Boasson Hagen on the road |
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| Gas station Belgium waffles! |
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| Cabezo de la Plata....6 miles of climbing stuff! |
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| Shall we climb? |
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| It wasn't all riding... |
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| Christmas Day with the In-Laws....#selfietime |
What I am drinking this month:
1562 Roastery: Ethiopia Sidamo Guji. Tasting Notes: Brown sugar, caramel, pear, floral. Sourced From: Keffa Coffee
December 2016 Total: 757miles/53hrs 17mins/2825 TSS
Swim: 4.5m/2hrs 20mins/ 152 TSS
Bike: 667m/39hrs 42mins/ 1803 TSS
Run: 85.8m/10hrs 55mins/ 849 TSS
Friday, December 30, 2016
Friday, March 7, 2014
Feb 15th - Feb 21st: Training Ramblings.....dreaming of Camp
The past week with winter still showing no signs of letting up, I've been dreaming of riding in just shorts and short sleeves. Give it a few months and we will all be moaning how hot and humid it is but in the meantime I've been scouring google maps to get some ideas for a US based training camp for 2015.
So what would we need for a decent camp location?
From research that essentially leaves us with southern California, Arizona, Nevada and central Florida (not major hills but rollers). Having been to San Diego in 2011 that would be a good option. I have always heard great things about the Dirty-T, but in February it's not overly warm. How about Las Vegas in February? Not really sure about the riding routes for a week. Clermont, FL has some very underrated riding and is home to the National Triathlon Center.
Got any recommendations? Let me know.
What I listened to this week:
https://soundcloud.com/benito-turntable/swing-my-electro-mix
Total: 119.82 Miles / 8 hours 35 minutes
So what would we need for a decent camp location?
- It would need to be warm, as in above 60's during the day.
- There would be climbing and plentiful options for routes.
- Direct flights from BWI.
- Easy access to rental houses.
- Not expensive.
- Extra curricular activities available.
From research that essentially leaves us with southern California, Arizona, Nevada and central Florida (not major hills but rollers). Having been to San Diego in 2011 that would be a good option. I have always heard great things about the Dirty-T, but in February it's not overly warm. How about Las Vegas in February? Not really sure about the riding routes for a week. Clermont, FL has some very underrated riding and is home to the National Triathlon Center.
Got any recommendations? Let me know.
What I listened to this week:
https://soundcloud.com/benito-turntable/swing-my-electro-mix
Total: 119.82 Miles / 8 hours 35 minutes
Swim: 2,400 yards / ~1.36 miles / 0 hours 47 minutes
Bike: 107 miles / 6 hours 05 minutes
Run: 11.56 miles / 1 hour 22 minutesSunday, February 14, 2010
Sun, sand and some hot running......
Training camp has arrived and the forecast looks great......high's in the 80's, sunshine and importantly places to run that aren't at a gym, no treadmill for me for a few days :-)
From driving around Bowie today it doesn't look as though any of the sidewalks will be passable for a long time to come especially as they have piled the snow from the roads onto them. Surely there must be some law against that? One intersection we went through had snowed piled up to at least 7-8 feet and covered the whole pedestrian crossing area, that isn't gonna melt for a long time.
Anyway training camp has come just at the right time and it will be good to have to wear sunglasses for sunny reasons as opposed to snowy reasons.......now where is the bar (after getting a few miles in of course)?????
From driving around Bowie today it doesn't look as though any of the sidewalks will be passable for a long time to come especially as they have piled the snow from the roads onto them. Surely there must be some law against that? One intersection we went through had snowed piled up to at least 7-8 feet and covered the whole pedestrian crossing area, that isn't gonna melt for a long time.
Anyway training camp has come just at the right time and it will be good to have to wear sunglasses for sunny reasons as opposed to snowy reasons.......now where is the bar (after getting a few miles in of course)?????
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Is It Time Yet........
At the moment the training camp can't come quick enough......
snow last weekend= no outdoor riding
snow during the week=limited outdoor running
snow forecast this weekend=no outdoor riding
Since we moved to the States in 2004, I guess we must have been kinda lucky. We missed the 2003 winter which by all accounts was bad in terms of snow and since then there have only really be a couple of doozies that have crippled the roads for more than a day. Old Man Winter must have been on vacay...
You just get used to bundling up and riding outside in the cold....cold I can do, snow on the roads just isn't worth the risk. Yeah that might sound wussy but there is bigger fish to fry in the summer. Killing it on the Saturday group ride in February when there is ice and snow around just doesn't sound appealing, perhaps I'm getting old!
At least we are in February now and you can just start to see that Spring isn't that far away. The training camp will make that come even faster and before you know we will all be working on the tan, swearing at the humidity and wishing for the onset of Fall.........
snow last weekend= no outdoor riding
snow during the week=limited outdoor running
snow forecast this weekend=no outdoor riding
Since we moved to the States in 2004, I guess we must have been kinda lucky. We missed the 2003 winter which by all accounts was bad in terms of snow and since then there have only really be a couple of doozies that have crippled the roads for more than a day. Old Man Winter must have been on vacay...
You just get used to bundling up and riding outside in the cold....cold I can do, snow on the roads just isn't worth the risk. Yeah that might sound wussy but there is bigger fish to fry in the summer. Killing it on the Saturday group ride in February when there is ice and snow around just doesn't sound appealing, perhaps I'm getting old!
At least we are in February now and you can just start to see that Spring isn't that far away. The training camp will make that come even faster and before you know we will all be working on the tan, swearing at the humidity and wishing for the onset of Fall.........
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