Training Log Archive: cedarcreekIn the 8 days ending Jul 5, 2016:
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Friday Jul 1, 2016 #
11 AM
MTB 3:30:00 21.85 km (9:37 / km) +275m 9:03 / km
ahr:145 max:174 shoes: Pearl Izumi w SPD
First time at Versailles State Park MTB Trails, with my cousin Brian. GPS battery died. Actual distance 21.85km (13.57 miles). About 300m climb.
Just wow. Really nice trails. Relief is about 50m, and some of the trails have an exposed feeling because of the steep slope next to you as you ride. I was looking at the line thinking, "No problem", but the exposure intimidated me more than once.
I'm definitely getting better. I didn't ride 100% of the trails, but I only found two things too terrible to ride---a rocky corner on Cliffside and a little wooden obstacle with no easy way around. I did lose momentum on a lot of little uphills and have to push, but I'm a little amazed at how much I rode through obstacles I couldn't ride last summer (at different parks---this was my first time at VSP).
My big improvement areas were keeping the bike in a gear so I could always apply power by pedalling (although a lot of times I got caught in too low a gear), and experimenting with higher speeds over rocks and roots while keeping the front end light. Too slow is definitely wrong. Going a nice speed really helped. I did get some chainring bleeding on one easy spot when the bike stopped but I didn't.
I may be imagining it, but I'm pretty sure I'm climbing better. My legs aren't just quitting on me like they used to, but they're still pretty fragile.
I didn't notice any places where the Strava Slide tool was drastically off as I was riding with my GPS, although I honestly was so busy picking my line that I only looked at the GPS when I stopped. (Also, if I haven't said it, these tight MTB switchbacks and hairpins are a problem in Strava Slide. You have to edit almost each one, so be prepared for that. The Slide tool cuts the corner early, so you have to extend them and try to give them a realistic shape.
Just wow. Really nice trails. Relief is about 50m, and some of the trails have an exposed feeling because of the steep slope next to you as you ride. I was looking at the line thinking, "No problem", but the exposure intimidated me more than once.
I'm definitely getting better. I didn't ride 100% of the trails, but I only found two things too terrible to ride---a rocky corner on Cliffside and a little wooden obstacle with no easy way around. I did lose momentum on a lot of little uphills and have to push, but I'm a little amazed at how much I rode through obstacles I couldn't ride last summer (at different parks---this was my first time at VSP).
My big improvement areas were keeping the bike in a gear so I could always apply power by pedalling (although a lot of times I got caught in too low a gear), and experimenting with higher speeds over rocks and roots while keeping the front end light. Too slow is definitely wrong. Going a nice speed really helped. I did get some chainring bleeding on one easy spot when the bike stopped but I didn't.
I may be imagining it, but I'm pretty sure I'm climbing better. My legs aren't just quitting on me like they used to, but they're still pretty fragile.
I didn't notice any places where the Strava Slide tool was drastically off as I was riding with my GPS, although I honestly was so busy picking my line that I only looked at the GPS when I stopped. (Also, if I haven't said it, these tight MTB switchbacks and hairpins are a problem in Strava Slide. You have to edit almost each one, so be prepared for that. The Slide tool cuts the corner early, so you have to extend them and try to give them a realistic shape.
Wednesday Jun 29, 2016 #
7 PM
MTB race 41:57 6.79 km (6:11 / km) +71m 5:52 / km
ahr:162 max:181 shoes: Pearl Izumi w SPD
MTB Time Trial Series at England-Idlewild Park near Burlington, Kentucky. I did two laps of a three lap race. I think I've ridden almost the entire thing before, but in a different direction. There are a few moderate pucker factor sections, mostly these reentrant crossings that go down and back up with nearly a right angle at the bottom---it's not really, but it feels like it.
Mostly nice and flowy, with pretty reasonable climbs. I probably didn't do the second lap faster by time, but sections of it I did much faster because I relaxed a bit the second time through. Also I stopped several times to let lapping riders pass me, so that slowed down my second lap.
Also, I was literally the last person. I started getting lapped just a few hundred meters into my second lap by people starting their third.
Mostly nice and flowy, with pretty reasonable climbs. I probably didn't do the second lap faster by time, but sections of it I did much faster because I relaxed a bit the second time through. Also I stopped several times to let lapping riders pass me, so that slowed down my second lap.
Also, I was literally the last person. I started getting lapped just a few hundred meters into my second lap by people starting their third.
MTB 13:38 1.84 km (7:24 / km) +19m 7:02 / km
ahr:145 max:165 shoes: Pearl Izumi w SPD
Popped over to the bike park to ride the pump track. I think I found it. I think you really need to lower your saddle before you do this. I got in pump rhythm for short sections, but the bigger stuff would mess me up.
I also did the jump run, but I just kept the tires on the ground. At one point my stem cap punched me just under my belly button when I was pulling the bike towards me. I wasn't expecting it at all.
I also did the jump run, but I just kept the tires on the ground. At one point my stem cap punched me just under my belly button when I was pulling the bike towards me. I wasn't expecting it at all.
Tuesday Jun 28, 2016 #
8 PM
MTB 34:46 4.67 km (7:27 / km) +7m 7:24 / km
ahr:135 max:161 shoes: Pearl Izumi w SPD
Quick ride at Terrell Park MTB trails. You start at the north side. I did middle-west-east, which left me at the south side, then I did middle-west-east ending up back at the north side. This meant I rode the three major trail sections in each direction. For me that means I can ride 35 minutes or so before I'm riding the same direction on a major section. It was getting dark. I finished a few minutes before sunset (9:03pm).
Terrell Park is a nice little park. It's flat and flowy, with a few small tricky sections. Very nice for beginners. I tried to be extra smooth through the harder stuff. So fun.
Spent a bit under an hour trying out something that Spike found on a Norwegian O' website. It takes the KP vegetation.png file and converts it into shape file polygons that can be imported into OCAD! Now I have a really good excuse to dial in the KP vegetation settings. Spike's recommended numbers from a few months ago are a little too green for most places around here.
Terrell Park is a nice little park. It's flat and flowy, with a few small tricky sections. Very nice for beginners. I tried to be extra smooth through the harder stuff. So fun.
Spent a bit under an hour trying out something that Spike found on a Norwegian O' website. It takes the KP vegetation.png file and converts it into shape file polygons that can be imported into OCAD! Now I have a really good excuse to dial in the KP vegetation settings. Spike's recommended numbers from a few months ago are a little too green for most places around here.