Golden Gran Fondo (GGF) Week 5

Another big week to finish up the month but a step back from the previous two weeks. With hindsight I got a bit carried away with the accumulating mileage and now my knee is pissed at me. It feels very similar to the issues I had back I February when I was piling on the running miles and with such a big jump in cycling I am sure it’s teetering on the edge of over use. With that said, here is the week:

Monday; off. Nailed it!

Tuesday; Triple Divide 28 miles. 3 sets of 3x3-minute VO2max repeats at 110-120% FTP with equal, 3-minute recoveries between intervals & 10-minute recoveries between sets of repeats. Standing climb in lowest gear for intervals. First try of ISM Adamo Attack saddle.

Wednesday; Black + 20 mins extra. 22 miles. Added extra to finish off Giro Stage on TV. Endurance ranging from 50-80% FTP

Thursday; West Vidette.  35 miles. 6x8-minute "hard start" intervals starting with 1 minute all the way up at 130% FTP followed immediately by 3 minutes at 97% FTP and concluded with 4 minute at 94% FTP. 5 minutes of recovery falls between each interval. Extra 5 mile warm up and 4 mile cool down.

Friday; quick road ride. 22 miles. Easy out. Fast loop around Underwood and pushed hard around the lake for a Crit lap. 100 miles on the ISM Attack 

Saturday; Mary Austin. 32 miles. 3 sets of 2x10-minute intervals consisting of 2-minute steps up from 95% to 100% to 105% FTP and then back down again. Rest between intervals is a brief 60 seconds while the recovery between the sets of stepping intervals is 5 minutes. Sensor drop out and then saved file restarted which is next 3 mile ride. Extra 3 mile warm up to start. Second Max effort per set was standing climbing.

Sunday; Road Ride. 56 miles. Three times round the same loop. Went for consistency overall with a goal of sub 3:30 56 miles. Pushed hard on some of the sprints and climbs and spent as much time as I could on the drops.

Total for the week 196 so a bit of a drop off vs the prior two weeks.

For the month I hit 826 miles on the bike by far my biggest month ever with just over 50 hours as well as the World Run at the beginning of the month for another 2 hours and 14 miles

Overall total 841.69 in 52:27:34

Pactimo; Match your Ride Bundles

Pactimo have just made it significantly easier for you to look sharp and be super matchy-matchy on your bike. Last month they introduced a new concept called “Match your Ride”. This allows you to color match a jersey, bib (or shorts) and cap to your bike’s color scheme…ingenious right!

Color schemes are available in 11 colors;

• Celeste (PAC 3375)
• Kelly Green (PAC C-019)
• Lime Green (PAC 376)
• Manic (PAC C-005)
• Neon Pink (Rhodamine)
• Pactimo Red (PAC 485)
• Royal Blue (PAC 2995)
• Violet
• Warm Red (PAC/C)
• White
• Yellow

That pretty much covers anything you could possibly be riding. The top and bottom design is simple and classic and comprises they Ascent Air Jersey and Ascent Pro Bibs, both of which have been updated this year.

Ascent Air Jersey;

Built for a sleek aero fit, lightweight feel and extreme breathability, the Ascent Air jersey features ultra-lite, super-stretchy and ventilated Speedskin fabric across the front panels, sleeves and collar. Back and side panels are constructed from Arrido mesh to provide lightweight breathability. Designed with comfort in mind, the Ascent Air jersey includes silicone waist gripper, neck tape, and a full-length zipper. You'll love how whisper light this jersey feels on those hot summer days.

• Lightweight and breathable Speedskin and Arrido mesh fabrics
• Pactimo TotalFit™ design for excellent anatomical fit
• Anti-chafe neck tape in collar
• Full-length YKK zipper with Pactimo pull-tab
• Ultra-soft silicone gripper at waist
• 3 full rear pockets
• Rear pocket opening for headphones and earbud loop in neckline
• Rear reflective trim

Ascent Pro Bibs;

Whether you’re racing in a local crit or enjoying an epic weekend ride, the Ascent Pro Bib Shorts are built to deliver. Using our proprietary Silhouette™ Engineering, the Ascent Pro Bib Shorts are specifically made for performance and comfort in the riding position. These bibs feature 7.5cm leg compression bands for a longer, more comfortable short that will not ride up or bind. (Cyclists preferring a shorter inseam should consider the Ascent bib shorts.)

• Worn by pro and elite cyclists worldwide, these bib shorts incorporate high performance lycra and exceptional chamois design. Whether racing or going long distance, the Ascent Pro Bib Shorts will enhance your ride.
• Italian Miti® Zaffiro Shield XC fabric (78% Nylon 22% Spandex; 200g)
• Silhouette™ Engineering: Integrated anatomical design for enhanced compression and support
• Italian-made Cytech CyTech E.I.T. Liege Carbonium chamois: 3 multi-structured levels (10-8-4mm), high protection foam, anatomical shaping and Elastic Bioactive surface fabric with carbon fiber
• Non-binding, double-layer fabric compression leg band
• Flatlock stitching eliminates chafe points
• 9.5" Inseam

Worried about buying a jersey and bib set, are you all legs or all body, don’t panic! You may exchange a single item for a different size, however you cannot return a single item for a refund. The entire bundle must be returned for a refund.

A Match my Ride full kit costs $240 and has free shipping, you also qualify for free points which you can use for future purchases, more info on that here. Jerseys are available for $105 and Bibs for $135, Shorts are $105. However you won’t get the free cap which is what tips it (no pun intended) in favor of buying a complete kit at once.

Golden Gran Fondo (GGF) Week 4

Building on the back of last week this week just got bigger. Albeit only be a smidge but bigger is bigger and it done with one less day riding in the week, here is how it shook out;

Monday. Rest. First day in nine and only the second on this moth to date

Tuesday. FTP Test. To be honest I was disappointed my FTP increased by a only one point! I am always torn by these test to ride the line which will result in a minimal increase or to go all out which it doable for the 2 x 8 minute test but then is not sustainable especially when getting into the longer rides. Still that said it’s only Week 4 so I have plenty of time to go. I extended the warm up and cool down to make it last 20 miles. I am finding that I need to have at least a 5 mile warm up to hit the ground running when I get to the first set of intervals, this is the same for most of the rides.

Later in the day I rode the new Sufferfest Downward Spiral, lots and lots of intervals and another 20 miles.

Wednesday. Pyramidial. 24 miles. 40 minutes of Tempo with varying intensity every 5 minutes. Additional 23 minutes easy pace to see the end of Stage 7 of the Giro.

Thursday. Smith. 25 miles. Smith is 6x10-minute intervals set very close together that all hover very close to Functional Threshold Power (FTP). I only managed 5 intervals, just ran out of time, #3 and #4 were standing climbing.

Friday. Sufferfest Elements of Style and ES20. Practicing on form and power.

Saturday. Mary Austin. 30 miles. 3 sets of 2x10-minute intervals consisting of 2-minute steps up from 95% to 100% to 105% FTP and then back down again. Rest between intervals is a brief 60 seconds while the recovery between the sets of stepping intervals is 5 minutes. V3rY H@rD!!!!

Sunday. Outside yay!!! 75 miles…well ok 74.97! Nice easy start was foiled by 20 miles of headwinds. From there it was some fastish flats along PCH and a big climb up through Mulholland. Nice quick descent down Decker and then a couple of pushes to get home. A bit longer than planned but it's all good! Practicing descending in the drops and I have to say it's easier than on the hoods! Who knew!!!

215 miles for the week and 620 for the month crushing my goal of 600 with a week left...maybe I can hit 850?!?