Everesting Week 8

Rest Week…say it with me ahhhhhh!

Monday; Easy Spin to get the blood flowing!

Tuesday; TrainerRoad Mount Field. Mount Field is 3x12-minute intervals at 85% FTP with 3-minute recoveries between intervals. Seated/Standing/Mixed intervals. Legs a bit tight but had an extra easy 2 miles W/U/C/D

Wednesday; TrainerRoad Pettit. Pettit is an hour of aerobic Endurance work spent between 60-75% FTP. Nice and easy, added extra time to catch up on the last stage of US Pro Tour...up next The Vuelta!

Thursday; TrainerRoad Black. Started off slowly, too late in the day, got into it after 40 mins or so! Black is an hour of aerobic Endurance ranging from 50-80% FTP. Starting to get fidgety but focusing on the rest!

Friday; TrainerRoad Pettit. Just 'cos it’s my birthday I don't get a day off! Pettit is an hour of aerobic Endurance work spent between 60-75% FTP. Nice and easy. Extra 3 mile Warm Up/1 mile Cool Down.

Saturday; Local Loop x2. HOT HOT HOT! Zone 4/5 HR 99f max ave 95f.

Sunday; Segment Ride. Three climbs, added a little extra on third and then a couple of miles cool down at the finish. Solid ride but very very hot!

So while it was a rest week I still managed to rack up over 12 hours and 183 miles.

Next week is going to be big and there is no sign of the weather breaking so all this heat training is a good thing!

Speedplay Pedals Zero Aero Walkables (2600 miles update)

A quick update on the Speedplay Pedals Zero Aero Walkables that I reviewed back in May. Since then I have put on just over 2600 miles on them and they are, well were, well will be working fine, for now at least. During last week I noticed that I had lost a rubber cover, the actual walkable part!

I have lost my left one and that the one I use to put my foot down on at traffic lights etc. Obviously the rubber not only provided some grip but was the protection for what is underneath, namely the cleat. Anyone familiar with Speedplay pedals will know that typically you have a steel cover that protects the mechanism. In the case of the Walkables the material is significantly less robust. As you can see in the photos I am wearing through them at an alarming rate; three, possibly four rides outdoors has made a major impact! I am not sure how they fell off, they certainly took a bit of punishment at the Golden Gran Fondo when I had to walk a country mile in the gravel.

I have ordered some replacement covers so I am hoping that will help them last the next 2400 miles or so which is about the entire lifecycle of the cleat. I’ll keep you posted if there are any more issues!

USA Cycling Coach Level 3 Certified

So this happened this week, I finally passed all the requirements and tests to qualify me as a Level 3 Coach. I decided to study and pass this exam not just due to my interest in Cycling but also to have access to a body of knowledge that comes with being a Coach and improving my overall understanding of cycling beyond just jumping on the bike. It probably comes as no surprise that I am a bit of data junkie so this should give me some insight into how to analyze the data and improve my performance.

Oh and it may serve as a launchpad for career #5 at some point in the future!