2 posts tagged “arkansas”

Well my FTT (Functional Threshold Test) did not go as well as hoped.  Three weeks ago was my previous FTT. 

I thought I had improved more over the last three weeks and a with good effort today ... I expected a higher increase in POWER like maybe 15-20 watts ... but the numbers only showed a few watts increase for the 40 minute TT (Time Trial).  With an average of about 24 mph (28-29 mph north & 20-22mph going south) for 16 miles.

Excuses for low POWER numbers ... Well ... here they are ...

1. I would like to think the problem was the 12-15 mph SSW wind, about twice what it was Sun (see photo of the flags @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dewonn43/428767034/in/set-72157600002157919/), but power numbers aren't affected by wind. 
2. I did do about 130 miles over the weekend with 4 or 5 x 20minute 80% FT efforts and 6 x 6-8 minute FT efforts ... but that was what my plan called for.
3. I had a stomach virus Wed/Thu last week
4. I am cutting back on calories to get my weight down (at least that is going good) for racing

After the test, I did a little test riding on Erik's Lucero ... (it weighs about 2 lbs less than my Trek Madone) ...  

Alex helped me clean my van out since I got so much grief about it over the weekend ... See this photo and ride photos from the FGSG ride in the 2007 March Rides photos @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dewonn43/sets/ 

Then went to Cook's Landing for the Tuesday Nite FGSG (Fast Girls Slow Guys) ride ... mostly rode easy since I had already done my FTT training ... but did have to hit it a few times just for grins ... There was a huge group of 40+ riders ...

And wouldn't you know it ... I ended up with a 1/2 IM distance on the bike today ... since the FTT / Lucero test ride was 28 miles and the FGSG ride was 28 miles ...  

2007 Pre-Spring Ultra Green Goblin 200K

This is the 2^nd Brevet produced by Dana Johnson of Green Goblin  … Dana is doing the “If you build it … they will come thing”, with the Ultra Green Goblin Brevet series … NOTE: there is a Mt Magazine 100K/200K planned for June 9th.  Sounds great except I will be training for Ironman Louisville.

Friday afternoon … I cleaned my bike … you know the nasty chain deal and crud on the bottom of the frame from all of the Patrick Memorial Fort Roots Assaults …

Then went out Friday night for a steak supper (extra protein for the Green Goblin) and it was pouring down rain.  Of course I told myself … this is good … it will move through tonite and be gone by morning. 

still rainin’.

5am no rain … but I can’t see the street from my kitchen window thru the fog.  So I washed down my banana (I really don’t like bananas very much) and my POWERBAR with some Endurox R4.

Since I planned on doing the entire 150 miles self-contained, I carried the following (including about 20 lbs that I would not normally have with me on a ride):

1)      Normal Ride Seat Pack with spare tube, and several CO2 cartridges

2)      Normal Ride down-tube cages contained 32 & 26oz bottles of Perpetum for nutrition

3)      32 oz Aero bottle used mostly for racing

4)      Camel backpack with the following

·        100oz water

·         26oz bottle of Perpetum – only partially needed

·        Several bars that I didn’t need

·        Tire pump

·        Tire

·        2 tubes

·        Vest & jacket

·        Arm warmers

·        Space Blanket

·        Gloves

·        Beanie

·        4 Bars

5)      Fanny pack with the following

·        TP (all purpose paper in zip lock)

·        CO2 carts

·        Allen wrenches

·        spoke wrench

·        Hammer Gel

·        Money

·        camera & spare batteries

·        Endurolytes

·        sports beans

·        quarters

·        a proverbial partridge in a pear tree …

6)      Of course, I had:

·        Cell phone (complete w/ Brevet Admin, Dana Johnson’s cell number & Brevet Support, Grace’s cell number)

·        Plastic money

·        Garmin 301 Forerunner GPS

·        Ergomo power meter

As I started trying to figure out the clothes situation when it was damp and 50 degrees but expected to warm into the 70’s … I decided to go with an Under Armour shirt & jersey (pink) on top and TRI shorts & leg warmers on the bottom and no gloves.

I rolled out headed to just after in the foggy dark with my flame thrower light, with less than ½ hour to get to the ride start and made it by .

I reset my Garmin @ the ride start and it was right on with-in a 1/10 at all of the check points and ride turn points listed on the Brevet card which worked very well.

To see the pre-ride photo and other photos go to flickr.com/photos/dewonn43/sets/ and select 2007 & 2006 Ultra Green Goblin 200K Brevets.  Around 11 of us rolled out @ crossing the BDB (Big Dam Bridge) in duck soup fog (note the early photos).  In addition to the Ultra Green Goblin himself, Dana Johnson, Michelle Williams was making a return trip after also coming for the 2006 fall Ultra Green Goblin.  David Smith, a co-worker, from Cabot was there for the 100K ride.  Along with some un-identified riders and the three riders identified below.

When we got to Crystal Hill road, we picked up the pace so that we could get things rolling.  Clay Wilson (formerly from LR but now in Texas), Don Motley(Russellville) & Colin (Okla) rode together for 15 miles and then stopped at the Palarm Liquor store which was the checkpoint for Don Motley since he was doing the 100K and took a photo.  Clay rode on … while we stopped.

We then continued on for 17 miles to the checkpoint and Clay was just getting his brevet card signed.  Don was turning around to finish the 100K and Colin was going to get breakfast … as I was getting my card signed … I saw that Clay had left … so I chased after him since his agenda seemed similar to mine … keep it rollin’.  This was a good plan because Clay was a very strong rider and a lot of fun to ride with.  He even waited on me at the top of Wye Mtn … 

Little did we know that the early fog would actually persist for 3 plus hours.  But after that the weather was great 70’s and sunny … actually I think we “powered” our way out of the fog/clouds as we climbed .

As we rolled along I found out that Clay and his wife have done several “Escape from ” swims.  He’s also going to to do the 745-mile (1,200km) Paris-Brest-Paris randonee.  Which requires that you do 200, 300, 400, 600K brevet(s) between January & June in the year of PBP which is only held once every 4 years in August.

Since this was only the end of my 2^nd of 26 weeks of build up for Ironman Louisville I was supposed 3 hours on Saturday & 2 ½ hours on Sunday … so I tried to ride somewhat reserved for this 150 mile fun ride.  And even with all the climbing and decent pulls on the flats … I managed to only spend 20 min. of the entire ride above Heart Rate Zone 2. 

As we “flew” down off of Wye Mountain and neared Roland we hit the 2^nd Check Point just NW of Roland and Grace (Dana’s fiancé) was there so that we could made a quick stop to get our cards signed and a photo op and then headed off for the next stop at Avilla. 

It was a great ride between the Roland checkpoint and .  Clay eased away from me as we climbed the various hills between Ferndale & Avilla including one nasty/short one.  Just as I finished the short/nasty climb, several Fast Girls (fastgirlsslowguys.com) were on their way home from the Avilla training race and shouted words of encouragement as they passed.

I joined back up with Clay at Avilla and then we headed on to Steel Bridge Rd (and Arkansas has how many roads named Steel Bridge that are now concrete???) and many dogs that wanted to come out and play chase the cyclist(s).  We passed the 100 mile point averaging almost 18mph.

We passed a church sign, as we were climbing a nice hill, which said “Aspire to Inspire before you Expire” and Clay commented that it was very appropriate for our situation.

Clay had eased away from me on the hills heading into HWY 9 but he had left a pen at the secret checkpoint for me to sign the time a ribbon color on my brevet card.  At that point I could still barely see him ahead on HWY 9 but he proceeded out of sight.  Clay wrote a nice ride story that can be found at http://www.arkansasbicycleclub.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=993

Between Paron & Ferndale I passed a large number of cyclists headed in the opposite direction.  The wind out the NE (in our face) @ 8mph was a “nice” added touch in the last 30 miles. 

I got my card signed at and then headed on to the Final checkpoint at the HWY 10 Shell station just west of Rodney Parham … of course to reach that final checkpoint had to be climbed … which was a good little hill after nearly 140 miles of cycling.  After turning in my card … I headed down to the river trails and the BDB … it was a wild sight to suddenly see riders, walkers, runners, roller bladers, etc in mass including David Grundman (camera malfunction lost his photo), Rene LaVergne & his son and Mike Mitchell on a new Mtn Bike.

My Garmin GPS & Power Meter both indicated over 8500 ft of climbing (think 40 times ) … Avg’d 17.5 mph thru 100 miles and then slowed a little over the last 50 miles.  For the 129 mile (200K) Brevet … I had an Ultra Green Goblin ride time of 8 hours flat & total time of 8 ½ hours counting stops. è http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2221820

See the following: Heart Rate, Power, & Elevation charts for more info than you may care know and see photos @ flickr.com/photos/dewonn43/sets/ and select 2007 Ultra Green Goblin 200K Brevet.

Entire workout (163 watts):

  Duration:   

  Work:        5529 kJ

  TSS:         572.4 (intensity factor 0.78)

  Norm Power:  203 watts

  VI:          1.24

  Distance:    149.05 mi

  Elevation Gain:   8442 ft

  Elevation Loss:   8524 ft

               Min  Max  Avg

  Power:           730  163 watts

  Heart rate:      149  118 bpm

  Cadence:         123   74 rpm

  Speed:            43   15.7mph