The saddest thing in the world happened yesterday. Wyatt our 5 year old came downstairs yesterday morning and melted in a heap of sad sobs when he looked outside and saw all the snow. After tearing around on his bike continuously for the previous 2 days the sight of the snow was more than he could handle. He tearfully asked, "Mommy why did it have to snow?" Then his next slightly angered question was, "So when does Spring start?" I told him 3 days and he looked at me like I was out of my mind. I knew how he felt, Spring break started on Monday and with 6 kids here all week I was so looking forward to them being able to spend a lot of time outside. But with this weather there is absolutely nothing they can do outside without getting totally wet and muddy. The roads appear to be drying out and hopefully tomorrow they can venture out.
As for me it needs to be above 40 degrees for me to venture out, so for now the trainer and I continue to spend quite a lot of time together.
On a happier note we have a signed contingent offer on our house and we have another couple coming to look at it for a 2nd time tomorrow, so with any luck we should be moved to the Twin Cities by the beginning of summer.
Happy Training Everyone!!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Nice weather! I can hardly wait
I know that it is only March, but I can hardly wait for the snow to go away and the trails to dry up. The knobbies on the new Fisher Rig have never seen dirt and are itching to be pushed through some twisty single track. This year I hope to get out on the trails much more than last year, hopefully the move back to the cities will happen sooner than later.
Last night Devon and I worked on his bike to get it set up to handle the single track trails better. He has a Redline mini racing BMX bike that is very light (16+ lbs) but it is geared really tall 37x14 and has 1 1/8" racing tires on it. We changed out the tires to 1 3/8" knobbies, added a 16t rear cog, and replaced the chain to accommodate the larger cog. After the upgrades he took it out for a trial. I was surprised that with the lower gearing he didn't loose any top speed, but gained a great deal of acceleration. The new tires added some stability without sacrificing much rolling resistance and will be much better in the dirt. He is going to tear it up on the beginner section at Lebanon Hills.
Wyatt also got out for a ride and is sporting a new helmet. With the way he rides I am sure it will get used.
Training is going well, but I have a touch of a sore throat and I hope it doesn't turn into something bigger.
Last night Devon and I worked on his bike to get it set up to handle the single track trails better. He has a Redline mini racing BMX bike that is very light (16+ lbs) but it is geared really tall 37x14 and has 1 1/8" racing tires on it. We changed out the tires to 1 3/8" knobbies, added a 16t rear cog, and replaced the chain to accommodate the larger cog. After the upgrades he took it out for a trial. I was surprised that with the lower gearing he didn't loose any top speed, but gained a great deal of acceleration. The new tires added some stability without sacrificing much rolling resistance and will be much better in the dirt. He is going to tear it up on the beginner section at Lebanon Hills.
Wyatt also got out for a ride and is sporting a new helmet. With the way he rides I am sure it will get used.
Training is going well, but I have a touch of a sore throat and I hope it doesn't turn into something bigger.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Yes, we're are still here!
I know it has been a while since the last post and shame on me for not keeping this updated. In my excuse we have been a little busy over the last couple of months.
We recently put our house up for sale and will be looking for a home in the twin cities (Eden Prairie, Bloominton, Minnetonka). If anyone is looking for a really nice home in Hutchinson, please feel free to give us a call.
MLS# 3500221
Although the move will put us closer to exerted family, the primary reason is to be closer to good mountain biking and the friends we have met the past few years while racing. The move will not be without any drawbacks, as the commute will be about an hour each way from the western edge of the cities to Hutchinson. It will be a small price to pay, however, to live in a place that we can call "home". Last summer we were home only 1 weekend the entire summer, the remainder were spent at either one of our parents or in a hotel. We are now playing the waiting game to see what interest there is in our house.
On the training front, this year is going much better than last year. The first week of base 3 has just begun and more intensity has been added to the steady diet of endurance and spinning. I like this point in the training because I start to get some indicators of performance. For example, earlier in the week I performed a set of low cadence intervals lasting 1.5 minutes each on the trainer at 360 watts. The important take-away from that session was the fact that I was able to hold or exceed the ave speed of each successive interval. In comparison last year I was able to start out a little over 23 mph but the speed of each successive interval dropped and I had difficulty completing the workout.
Tonight I have a set of cruise intervals (4 x 6 min). Last year I was able to hold 290 watts. This year I will shoot for 300+ watts and try to maintain that level on each of the intervals.
We recently put our house up for sale and will be looking for a home in the twin cities (Eden Prairie, Bloominton, Minnetonka). If anyone is looking for a really nice home in Hutchinson, please feel free to give us a call.
MLS# 3500221
Although the move will put us closer to exerted family, the primary reason is to be closer to good mountain biking and the friends we have met the past few years while racing. The move will not be without any drawbacks, as the commute will be about an hour each way from the western edge of the cities to Hutchinson. It will be a small price to pay, however, to live in a place that we can call "home". Last summer we were home only 1 weekend the entire summer, the remainder were spent at either one of our parents or in a hotel. We are now playing the waiting game to see what interest there is in our house.
On the training front, this year is going much better than last year. The first week of base 3 has just begun and more intensity has been added to the steady diet of endurance and spinning. I like this point in the training because I start to get some indicators of performance. For example, earlier in the week I performed a set of low cadence intervals lasting 1.5 minutes each on the trainer at 360 watts. The important take-away from that session was the fact that I was able to hold or exceed the ave speed of each successive interval. In comparison last year I was able to start out a little over 23 mph but the speed of each successive interval dropped and I had difficulty completing the workout.
Tonight I have a set of cruise intervals (4 x 6 min). Last year I was able to hold 290 watts. This year I will shoot for 300+ watts and try to maintain that level on each of the intervals.
Andrea's training is going strong and she is confident that she will do extremely well racing in the sport class. The endurance is there and her technical ability is now very good. One thing that she needs to work on is her aggressiveness during the races. In the past she had made many comments about getting stuck behind slower riders and being held up. She needs to be a little more aggressive at times to push ahead and gain as many positions as possible when the conditions are right to make a pass. I think working on some short sprints will be beneficial.
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