Going Long

On Sat, I re-read Going Long again. Boy did I missed a lot of things. I am now at the end of Base 3. This week is my recovery week. Here is a few things that I need to re-adjust to my training:

- do more yoga, Joe and Gordo suggest at least one hour per week (or 3 times 20 min)
- focus on going long and easy on the bike (my interpretation, forget about speed, focus on getting comfy on the aerobars, b/c u will be going for a long while)
- Act, Train, Eat, Think like a Champion
...some other stuff...i gotta re-read and take them down.

So expect this week on my blog as I tweak and hack my training plan.

I went for a long ride yesterday..finally...

After Church, Jen and Julian took me over to Oakville. It is just about 20 min from where I live. Oakville is a cyclist-friendly city. I know that b/c last year I had a flat there and while waiting for my sis to pick me up, 3 cyclists stopped and offered help. This is very different than my city where I will get spitted on...(ok..maybe just a bit exaggerated).

My friend's friend, Donna, also came out. This was her first ride on her roadie. We were going about 20 kph. It was very relax and calm. They did a 20 km or so lap and when we headed back to the cars, I went off on my own. It was fun doing group rides. Looks like we will be doing some more this summer.

Here were some interesting thing along the ride:

- while I stopped to fix my bike tape, an old cyclist offered to help. I notice he got a bike bottle right below his saddles. He was going fast. I only caught up to him when he stopped back at his car. He had a Specialized Works. His bike seat was high and there was a special cage holder. Neat!
- There were an old couple that was parked beside me. They were decked out with 4 bottles. They must have been going long. They were. Their car was still there in my 4th hour
- Aerobar felt well. By 3rd hour, my shoulders and neck were aching a bit.
- There was one valley where I had to walk up. Yes I am a whimp. It was my bad, I went down too slow and messed up on the gears going up.
- I have to work on my climbing skills. Make sure I keep my HR down and cadence steady
- By the 4th hour I was counting down like it was new years.
- I missed the peace and quietness being on the road. I stopped once in 4th hour just to feel the calmness of the surrounding.
- My quads were killing me by the last hour, I wondered "How on earth am I going to run a marathon after this?" or "I gotta ride 200 km this Sat? I must be outta my mind."
- I thought about IronBenny and his epic journey while I am cycling....that gave me more motivation to keep going.

4 hr 45 min
About 62 miles (108 km).
Focus on getting use on the seat and aero position for long long long time...