Body Atoms

No Puking Allowed

Already through the first week of the Triathlete Magazine program and four of the seven days had modifications. I'm fine with it. It's either be fine with it or be OCD and stress the whole thing. Flexibility is the only way to get through the week and get everything done. The only difference for next week looks like an increase to the run by a few miles and maybe the bike as well.

Week Totals:Swim 2K :45, Bike 85M 5:00, Run 15M 2:34, Gym 2:00
TOTAL HOURS = 10:30
TOTAL MILES = 101

I took it easy on Saturday with just some strength training. Sunday, I started on the trainer with five miles when my best friend from Houston called (the original cycling guru and coach). I told him I didn't have anyone to ride with here in Austin and that I may need to look into some group rides. I rode another five miles when my neighbor called. He looks and rides like Erik Zabel. His riding buddies had allergies so he needed somebody to ride with. What timing!

Salsa Verde had some problems the last time I went out with Neighbor Zabel and his buddies. Like three bearings missing in the back wheel. This time I wanted to make sure I kept up... even if I puked in the end. Two blocks out from the house Salsa Verde started making the same grinding noises. Not sounding good but riding ok. So far so good. We got to the veloway, did a couple of laps and so far so good. 20, 21, 22 mph no problem yet. We took off for the MoPac loop. The Mopac loop is eight miles of highway feeder that sees very little traffic and has a six-foot shoulder for a comfort zone between you and the cagers. It's also located right off the veloway.

Everything was fine until the first real hill. It's about a 3-percent grade that keeps going. I always red-line when I hit the thing and slow to about ten mph. Hills are my weakness. I do fine with flats and downhills but hills take their toll on me. I should clarify that statement as short hills I do ok with, it's the long hills where I need some endurance that I'm really bad at. I felt better than in the past though. The strength training paid off over the winter. I still suck, but suck less. I caught my breath and made it past the hill. Grabbed a little Gatorade and onward. On the backside of the first lap I stuck with Neighbor Zabel pretty close. Salsa Verde even got up to 37.7 mph on the backside of loop one. The fastest it had gone before on the same stretch was 30 mph. That's about when Neighbor Zabel said rest up the next half mile, we're going fast on lap number two. Oh great. I thought if I was going to puke this would be the lap that did it.

Neighbor Zabel explained how this lap was going to be different. Since I was ok on the flats and downhills, those would be mine to take the lead and block the wind and push through. He would take the hills and not only that, he would come back and help push me up the hill. I was able to rest on the hill and he would up his mojo to get me up the hill. It took some getting used to, his hand signals, where the wind was coming from and seeing what terrain was coming up but by the second half of the second loop I had it down. No puking but the right hamstring was starting to pull, as were the tendons behind my knees. We decided to cool down for the last two miles and call it a day. It was probably less distance than he wanted for the day. It was just the right amount, given the effort, for me.

Next week my best friend the Original Cycling Guru and Coach comes to town. It's forecasted with rain for both days but we may be able to get a short ride in and who knows, by that time the forecast will be totally different.

Labels: cycling, Erik Zabel, Original Guru and Coach, Salsa Verde

Permanent Link: 3/05/2007 07:46:00 AM