Training with Liam

A week or so ago I came across a blog by Liam and Bill Flanagan.

http://www.fathersontour.com

Liam is a cyclist from Newport Beach, CA who has ridden some of the most famous cols of Europe with his father, Bill. While there, they happened upon Lance Armstrong training and had a chance to ride alongside him and have a little chat while being photographed by a French news reporter. This year they followed the tour, and climbed Mont Ventoux together a couple of times.

Most recently, they rode Levi Leipheimer's GranFondo in Sonoma, and are soon headed to Austin, TX for the LiveStrong Challenge where they will ride the 65 mile course.

That in itself would be cause enough for the average cyclist to feel pretty pleased with himself, but Liam and Bill's story becomes more interesting when you reveal one other small fact:

Liam is 9 years old.

After exchanging a couple of Tweets and emails, Bill and Liam made the drive up to our house in San Gabriel for lunch and a ride with my son Ryan and me. It was a real pleasure to spend some time with these two very nice people. I'm always amazed at the fascinating and wonderful people that the world of cycling brings together. Ryan and Liam hit it off like old friends (kids are amazing that way!).

After lunch on our patio, we packed up the bikes and headed off to Pasadena for a pleasant ride through the quiet tree-lined streets around the Rose Bowl. Well--our timing couldn't have been worse. A UCLA game was letting out just as we rolled up towards the Bowl, and traffic was jammed in all directions. We attempted a little detour, but 50,000 cars take up a lot of road. We kept to the sidewalks and made the best of it, but our quiet ride was more a game of urban assault, so we decided to cut the ride short. Ryan did get a little taste of some small hills, which of course Liam blazed up like an old pro.

The boys seemed to be kindred spirits, and I think future rides together are in the cards. The following link is to a little interview I did from our dining room. At nine years old, to hear Liam talk about riding to raise awareness for Cancer is just amazing.

http://gallery.me.com/kenwallacefilms#100183

Thanks for spending time with us Bill and Liam. LiveStrong!

Ken & Ryan

Training with Ryan

This weekend my son Ryan decided he wanted to get serious about riding. He was inspired in part by a video he saw of a young boy named Liam and his dad Bill, training for Levi's GranFondo. Liam is 9 years old--here is their latest blog entry:

http://www.fathersontour.com/2009/10/cyclists-making-difference-at-levis.html

At 7 years old, I was pretty sure that Ryan would fit on his older sister's Trek Jr. road bike. Ryan has been on two wheels since we pulled off the training wheels when he was three, so he is very confident on a bike. We pulled the bike out of the garage and lowered the seat, and he just fit on. We did a little practice starting and stopping on the safety of our sidewalk, and Ryan was off and riding like a champ in no time!

Our first official "training ride" was on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. This seemed like a good place to ride in a relatively car-free environment, with no stop signs or traffic signals to deal with. Ryan was able to comfortably complete 4 laps of the Bowl--about 13 miles--in just over an hour. He really had a great time! Here is a little video of that ride:

Today, we had a little time after homework, so we took to the streets. It was Ryan's introduction to stop signs, traffic lights, cars (moving and parked!), and a few short hills. We ventured out from our house in San Gabriel via side streets to South Pasadena. The fading sunlight and cooling temperature kept our ride to about 45 minutes, but it was a great time. A couple of fellow cyclists even joined in for a bit to cheer Ryan on.

It's been a great introduction for Ryan, and we are really enjoying our time training together! Our goal is to enter Ryan in an organized ride this Spring--maybe something in the 25-35 mile category. It is going to be a fun adventure.

Red Light Green Light

I'm gonna step up on my soapbox for a second...

I know this is probably a sensitive topic, but one that I have given some thought to and feel strongly about. As cyclists on the road together, people form opinions about us based on the few seconds that they come in contact with us on the road. When we blow through red lights and stop signs, drivers look at us and assume we have no regard for the rules of the road and lose respect for cyclists in general. That is why I stop for red lights and wait until they are green to continue (usually pushing a "walk" button takes care of stubborn lights that don't sense bikes). I slow for all stop signs to check for cross traffic, and stop completely if another car is in the intersection. It is a small inconvenience, but so is stopping in my car. Why should stopping on my bike be different?

I've had police ask me why cyclists have no regard for the laws of the road. They are loosing patience with "cyclists" and don't want to ticket us, but think they may need to as complaints from motorists mount. I even had a police officer hand me copy of the California code that applies to cyclists. If we want motorists to treat us with respect, we have to do the same. In my mind that means reasonably obeying the laws of the road, and not assuming that because we are on a bike we are exempt. It doesn't take that much effort, and I think the message it sends is worth the trouble.

Stepping down now.

Ken

Etape du Tour Report

To my Friends and Supporters,

Finally, after much needed rest and time with my family in Provence, here is my update on the Etape du Tour:

FIRST: I firmly believe that I would not have completed this event without my coaching and the training program I did. THANK YOU Rich Wharton (www.onlinebikecoach.com)!!

Also, the equipment modifications (compact crank, 12/27 cassette, and the PowerTap) were vital. I never had a single equipment problem (other that a seat post that started to creak for some odd reason).

Etape Stats: Distance: 170k (106 miles), Climbing 11,927 feet, Cals burned: 2915 kJ, Avg Speed 13.1, Avg Power 136.3 watts, weight lost on ride: 4 pounds, time on bike 08:07:27

My official Etape time was 9:44:33, but that included about 1/2 hour wait at the start, and 1/2 hour wait for water at Chalet Reynard (see story below), plus water, food and "nature" stops.

I placed 2099 in my age category, out of 2717 people in that age group. I placed 5900 overall out of 9500 entries. About 2100 people did not finish. So I didn't exactly tear it up, but I was at least somewhere in the middle. FYI--there were about 235 women who finished the event (I'm not sure how many started). The winner finished in 5:11:31, and the last place to finish was 11:05:38. Anyone after that was disqualified and picked up by the broom wagon (or else had abandoned).

So the story....

The day before per my coach's plan I had a 45 minute ride with a 3 minute interval followed by a recovery drink. I had a good dinner and was in bed by about 10pm. I was up at 4am for a light breakfast, and on the road to the start in Montelimar by 4:30am with a tour group called "On Your Bike" out of Ireland. I had made arrangements to share a ride on their bus, and had done a group ride with them earlier in the week. They are a nice bunch of guys and run a very nice cycling tour operation. Check them out (www.onyourbike.ie). We parked and were at the start at about 6:40am.

The start was at 7am, but being 7000 people back it took about 30 minutes to get out the starting line.

I had a gel at the start, and carried 2 bottles of Hammer Perpetuem. I was carrying about 7 gels, 2 more packs of Perpetuem and enough Heed for 3 bottles. Also had a couple of fig newton bars--one was crushed beyond eating so I tossed it.

The first few climbs were nothing much, but a warm up. They averaged 4-6 kilometers at about 4-5% grade. That said, the "peleton" was thick and very nervous. There were several crashes and one rider went down just in front of me on a descent. I swerved around him and narrowly missed going into the dirt shoulder. I saw at least one person who was in pretty bad shape and numerous ambulance vehicles came by over the course of the event. There were also many flats, broken chains, and god knows what other kinds of equipment failures along the road.

I got into a few moderately paced groups, but even that was tricky because some dope was always trying to squeeze into the paceline. Along the route I stopped to refill water twice before Bedoin, mixing the Perpetuem and then Heed. I was careful to drink a bottle and a gel every hour, plus a bit of fruit at the stops (a banana ad an apricot).

The 4th climb from Sault to the Col de Notre Damn des Abeilles is longer and steeper at about 9 kilometers and averaging 7-9%. I could have easily gone up these first climbs faster, but I tried to learn from Solvang and I monitored my wattage and HR to always stay out of the red. I don't think my HR ever went over 175, which for me is a moderate tempo rate.

The descent from the Col de N.D. is blazing fast. Straight down with broad sweeping curves. With so many people though it was a bit nervous going all out, plus I was kind of trying to recover, which is tough to do at 40-50 mph on a bike.

At Mormoiron there is another slight climb into and out of town (5-6%) for a couple of K before reaching Bedoin. I saw someone stretching out his leg and thought that seemed like a good idea so I unclipped and bent my leg back and up. Bad idea. My leg immediately started to cramp from this new unwelcome position. I stopped immediately and it subsided.

In Bedoin I had arranged for my family to meet me with cold water, ice and some snacks. I refilled my bottle with those, added the last of my Heed to one bottle and kept the other with plain water (I didn't want to squirt Heed on my head). I ate some more fruit, took a few photos with the family and headed out. In retrospect I should have grabbed an extra water and maybe some more food. The gels were getting harder to stomach.

The climb up Ventoux looked like a death march. Half the people were walking their bikes up, and a lot still riding were weaving around, barely keeping upright. It was an effort not to hit someone. The sun was blazing straight down and shade was hard to find and only at the sides of the road, which of course is where all the walkers were.

I tried to duck into the shade when I could, though I don't really know if it had any actual physical effect--but psychologically it felt good!

I was feeling the hints of some cramps again but nothing terrible. At some point in the forest about half way up I stood on the pedals through a steep bit and my right calf cramped up pretty good. I had to stop for a second and massage it, which helped. My left foot was also very sore right on the ball of the foot. I've had that before, and I had bought some new insoles which I thought were helping. It seems to crop up on that foot after about 60 or 70 miles. I may need to look at the cleat position on that shoe.

Back on the bike I just kept a steady pace--if I stood on the pedals I made sure not to stomp--I just maintained steady power--and the leg cramps never came back, but I did feel a bit nauseous and the thought of throwing up entered my mind (oh yes, there were people throwing up--happily I never did).

After what seemed like an eternity I reached the rest point at Chalet Reynard. And they were out of water. Riders had to line up at the gift shop where there was one little drinking fountain. It took about 1/2 hour to get water, but I was out and didn't want to face the final 6k without any.

Back on the bike and did the last 6k by counting down every K to the finish. The first bit is actually not bad at 7%, then the last 1K is at 11-12%, but at least you know at that point that the finish line is in sight!

At the Ventoux summit I had 1/2 a Coke (I was craving it for some reason, but could only drink half), and some bad cookies from a vendor. I took some video and photos, called my wife, and recovered. I also vowed that I would never climb that damn mountain again! Okay--I feel better now and am planning to do it again on Friday with Rich, but I certainly meant it at the time :)

Finally, there was a long 25K descent to Malaucene, followed by an easy slight downhill ride back to my car about 10k away in Vaison la Romaine.

I rolled into home with my car at 8pm (I had to take a detour route home because of the traffic on all the roads around Ventoux. A good dinner and I was in bed by 10pm.

Last, but not least, together we raised over $1,500 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation-- a special thanks to all who donated.

That's it! It was an exhausting but epic day. Thanks for letting me share the story. Video and photos will be posted soon!

Ken

Bonjour from France

I am finally in France.

We are having a lovely time in the Dordogne. The jet lag is beginning to wear off and we've done a bit of exploring around the area, which is beautiful. We've lucked out with some nice cool weather, though it is certainly tourist season--a regular flow of people stroll by our little rental village house on their pilgrimage to the Beynac Chateau at the top of the town.

We took the early tour to avoid the crowd, and were rewarded with a castle almost all to ourselves. Living in a castle was not all it is cracked up to be (unless you like cold stone floors), but the view was spectacular. The French and English battled for a hundred years over the valley that can be seen from the castle walls.

The area is very rural, with lots of rolling hills and forests, corn and sunflower fields, vineyards and walnut groves. Local farms raise geese and duck, which is more popular than chicken here.

Speaking of food--the grocery stores here offer an amazing selection of food--something as simple as yogurt takes up an entire isle in the supermarket. Going to the market is Felicia's favorite form of entertainment.

Yesterday we had an early morning at the Sarlat outdoor market where we met French cooking instructor named Daniele Delpeuch (who is quite famous in France, and one time friend of Julia Child) for a day long traditional Perigord cooking class at her farmhouse. The food, and her stories of cooking around the world, were a wonderful experience for the entire family--and one that I will need a couple of days and bike rides to recover from!

We head to Provence on Saturday--we are all looking forward to seeing our little house again after 3 years away. And on July 20th--the Etape du Tour awaits.

Final Preparations

T-Minus 7 days until my departure for France and there is so much to do!

My training got a little stalled last week as I ended up taking an unexpected business trip to Toronto. A full week of work with no time on the bike, and very little sleep. It took a couple of rides to wake up my legs, but I feel like I haven't lost any fitness. I'm now back in the 4 day a week training routine--a couple of days on the CompuTrainer, and a couple of days outside. This will be my last weekend to get in some good long rides.

My final fitness test before the Etape will be on Tuesday morning. The plan is to take the ErgVideo Threshold Test, then record a Training With Ken spot for the FredCast podcast along with my coach (Rich Wharton).

The purpose of this adventure was always to see how an average cyclist (that's me) could benefit from a structured coaching plan that utilizes the technology that is available to maximize improvement. I always knew that I couldn't train 10-20 hours a week, so I wanted to see what was possible within the limits of my personal life. The reality is that 6-8 hours a week is probably the most I am able to commit to cycling. Is that enough to tackle the Etape?

Here is the Etape profile:

Each of the little climbs is about 4-8km long--and of course, Mont Ventoux at the end. I can say without reservation that I am in the best cycling condition that I have ever been in, but will it be good enough? It is certainly the most difficult ride I have ever attempted, and with potential wind and heat, it could be brutal. But I am excited to test myself!

I'll be recording video along the ride, and I'll try to get some interesting interviews with other riders, spectators, and just about anyone who will talk to me!

Thanks for following my adventure....

Ken

Inside Outside

It’s 3 weeks until I leave for France, and about 6 weeks before the Etape du Tour. I’m getting very excited about the trip, and just a little anxious about being as prepared as possible. Last month I did my threshold test and came in at 216 watts, which was right in the range I was hoping for. Dropping the last 5 pounds has been a bit of a struggle, and I seem to be stuck a bit in the 148 pound zone. Hopefully a few tweaks to my diet and a month of increased workout intensity will do the trick. I was told that the food and wine in France are all low calorie, so hopefully I won’t gain back any of the weight I worked so hard to lose!

With the weather really getting nice here in southern California, I have not been able to resist the urge to get outside and ride. And in doing so I swapped out some of my CompuTrainer sessions for outdoor sessions.

After a couple of weeks of this, I really did not feel like I was getting the same level of intensity on the outdoor rides. Last night I did another threshold test, which came in at 218 watts, a 1% improvement, but well below the 4-5% improvement I had been seeing before.

This is hardly scientific, but my gut feeling, supported somewhat by my testing data, is that the shorter, targeted, more intense indoor workouts on the CompuTrainer deliver faster, more substantial fitness improvements compared to just going outside and riding hard. I’m still trying to find the perfect balance, because let’s face it—we ride bikes to get outside and enjoy the company of other people. Isn’t the whole purpose of getting fit to go out and hammer, I mean, enjoy riding with our friends?

As I start to get ready for France I am also fine-tuning my bike and other gear for the ride. I have been riding with an iAero, but I have recently added a wireless PowerTap, which is being loaned to me by Rich Wharton. The iAero can take in wattage from the PowerTap ANT+ signal, and has some pretty unique capabilities for optimizing riding position by analyzing drag coefficients in real time. I am also swapping out my Dura Ace 7800 standard cranks for a set of Dura Ace 7950 compact cranks, and changing my 11-25 cassette to a 12-27. Since all of my training climbing has been with standard cranks, I think the Compact cranks and 12-27 cassette will give me the extra few gears I will need to make it up Mont Ventoux.

The weather in Provence can be unpredictable this time of year: scorching hot, rain and mistral winds are all possible. I am fairly certain that I will leave the carbon aero rims at home and take my Mavic Ksyrium SL rims, which are a little heavier, but a more all-purpose wheel-set. A 15-mile descent on a 9% grade in the rain with carbon rims is not something I would want to attempt! More likely though, the weather will be horribly hot, but I am bringing just about everything in the closet just to be prepared.

So the next few weeks will be devoted to increasing my training on the CompuTrainer during the week, finalizing the prep of my bike gear, and getting in some good long rides outside on the weekends.

Finally, I want to thank all of the people who have been generous and donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It’s a great cause and I really appreciate your show of support.

Nutrition Musings

I've been thinking a bit about proper nutrition, and its role in training. I've always had generally healthy eating habits, and without a weight issue never given much more thought than that to proper diet. As I struggle to drop the last few pounds I am starting to look into the little things: non-fat latte instead of regular, reducing portion sizes, omitting little things that may have extra processed sugar, etc.

I've also been taking a closer look at calorie content in the things I eat. There is a curious thing about calories per serving in the food we eat--almost everything has 120-150 calories per serving. How could that be? Looking closer it becomes obvious: manufacturers simply adjust the serving size to bring the total calories into line. Tricky. Normally my serving size is the amount I feel like eating.

There are hundreds, wait, thousands, of diets out there. Too many for me to actually subscribe to any single one. Instead, I (with the agreement of my coach) have decided to subscribe to the following general rules for eating and drinking:

Fresh quality foods whenever possible: regular servings of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. When I want to snack, I grab an apple or banana, or handful of raw nuts.

Leaner meats: avoid fatty meats, chicken skin, etc.

Cut back a bit on the gluten: less bread and pasta.

Cut out processed sugar: no sodas, candies, added sugar, etc. I do indulge in a small bit of dark chocolate now and then to quench the sweet tooth.

Limit alcohol: A glass of red wine a couple days a week when I'm not training the next day.

The formula is really pretty basic:

calories in (greater than) calories out = gain weight

calories in (less than) calories out = lose weight

calories in (equal) calories out = neutral

So to drop those last few pounds I plan to kick up the volume a little, and keep the eating in check, watching closely that I don't lose strength (ie, muscle). It is also my hope that by eating quality food, and fueling properly on rides, I will keep my immune system strong and avoid getting sick.

This is just my own common sense approach to eating well!

Ken

A Quick Update

Just a quick update on training progress.

All is going well, and I continue to be on-track with my goals. My May Threshold Test came in at 216 watts, on target with my goal of 215 watts. I am attempting an increase of 5 watts per month with the hope to end up at 225 watts by July. As I move into a new 6-week phase of training we'll see if I can continue at that level of improvement.

My weight is on track, but I have seemed to hit a point of resistance at 150 pounds, which I have been at for a couple of weeks now. My plan is to increase my weekly mileage by commuting into work once a week, which will add a couple of hours to my weekly ride time. I would still like to drop 5 more pounds between now and July. I've cut the croissants, but I guess I need to lay off the lattes as well... :(

For the latest, check out the Training With Ken spot on the most recent edition of The FredCast Cycling PodCast.

And enjoy the Giro!

Ken

Goals / Results

Last post I wrote a bit about inspiration, and nothing is more inspiring than seeing results. Since I don't race I can't point to spots on a podium, or personal-best time-trial efforts, to demonstrate results. Thankfully, my cycling efforts don't require that I get a sponsor's name in front of a camera!

Instead, every few weeks I ride the ErgVideo Threshold Test to track my progress. My most recent test put me at an FTP of 207 watts, up from 198 watts a month earlier, which was up from 192 watts on my first test. So in about three months I am up 15 watts, which is tracking perfectly with my personal goal of getting my FTP to 225 watts by the Etape du Tour.

Along with increasing my wattage, I am also attempting to bring down my weight to achieve a higher power to weight ratio. I started in November of 2008 at 165 lbs. Currently, I am hovering at about 150. My target weight for July is 140-145. There was a very revealing article on the Team Astana website that talks about weight its correlation to the energy required to move it on a bike (link below).

As much as I appreciate the technology of the CompuTrainer, nothing beats just getting outside and riding. With weather hovering in the mid 60s it was a perfect weekend for riding. A small group I ride with on Sundays headed up into the local mountains along the same route taken by the Tour of California as they went from Santa Clarita into Pasadena. It's hard to believe that this view is just a 30 minute ride from Pasadena, CA.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who has donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation in support of my ride. We have broken $1,000! Your contributions are truly appreciated. And of course if you would like to donate, just click on the link on the right column to go the my LAF fundraising page.

Ken

Watts per Kg Article

http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/fresh_brew/watts.html

Inspiration

Yesterday I was listening to an interview with Phil Keoghan on TheFredCast cycling podcast. Phil is riding across America and raising money for the MS Society. He rides a century every day as he works his way across the country. That interview started me thinking about what inspires and motivates cyclists to train and ride hard.

As a fairly self-motivated person, it doesn't take much to get me to jump on my bike and go for a ride. But going for a ride, and training, are very different. Jumping on my trainer at 10pm when I would really just like to chill out in front of the TV or go to bed takes a little extra motivation.

I've found that a few things can provide that little push:

1) Expectations. I know that my coach is expecting to see a file the next day. I hate to let other people down. If I know someone is showing up at 6am to ride I can drag myself out of bed and be ready to go. Knowing that my coach has worked to prepare a training plan, and is expecting to see the results of a workout is a motivating factor for me.

2) Work towards a goal. Training with a mind towards achieving long term and short term goals keeps me focused on the big picture. As I see myself achieving the short term goals (weight loss, increased wattage, etc.), I know that I am progressing towards the long term goal.

3) Work for a Cause. Riding to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation has put my efforts into a larger context. Now it is not just for me. People are spending their money to support me, and that adds a level of responsibility on my part to commit and follow through.

What inspires you?

Ken

Training Theory

I always like to understand the why of things, so I asked Rich Wharton of onlinebikecoach.com to go into a greater depth explanation of the training plan he devised for my Etape du Tour ride in July. Below is his quite detailed explanation. I take comfort in knowing that as I sweat through one more set of intervals, Rich has a reason for making me suffer!

Take it away, Rich:

Ken,

Knowing that we were roughly 17 weeks out from the Etape and the Mont Ventoux climb in July, I decided to count backwards and run you through multiple 6-week blocks of specific training, so that we could build upon systems that are necessary for the Four "S" 's.

• Stamina
• Strength
• Speed
• Skill

You've already been through several months of off-season preparation, so the goal right now is to get you ready for your Spring campaign with some Speed and Strength optimization intervals.

Weeks 17 through 12 are mostly MAP intervals - that means "Maximal Aerobic Power", or "Vo2max" style intervals. They're short (<6>

Vo2max intervals are designed to do what their definition implies - Maximize your ability to process oxygen and purge CO2, or, "Develop Maximal Aerobic Power". These are NOT the systems you'd use for Mont Ventoux - instead, they're what you'd use for your local hills in LA or San Diego. 3 to 6 minute hills in the middle of a ride that require power but also require that you recover in time for the next one. So - you're in the middle of a 5-6 week block that will attempt to do this.

Why six weeks? Well, if we base things on a 48 week year (time off for family vacations, holidays, etc.), It allows for good "Mesocycles" of progression in intensity, and periodization, which is the actual time spent recovering adequately so you can perform better. Also - there's some evidence, and it's kind of broad, though accepted, that you really can't train one system for more than about 8 weeks before you flatline on your performance in that category or energy system, and you need to change training so that your body can adapt to do something else. I call changing modes of training, "Juggling water with one hand." You try to keep one drop from hitting the ground, and another drop will fall while you pay attention to that drop. Nothing's ever perfect, though with steady training and practice, you can raise the entire level of your performance or fitness. It's the single-channel optimization that always yields relative drops in other areas.

The next block is a six-week block of AC intervals (levels 6 and 7 on a scale of 1 to 7), with a follow up workout of Threshold intervals (zone 4). This will do two things. It'll absolutely hammer your Anaerobic energy systems, giving you some needed Speed to 'attack' or 'counter-attack', and it'll also rejoin the aerobic workouts that optimize your stamina. This will take us well in to summer. Notice that in this 6 week block, we'll be completely bypassing Vo2max. Why? Well, look at most of your outdoor ride files. They spend a lot of time in the aerobic areas of Tempo and Threshold, and then bypass Vo2max to hammer high periods of accumulated time in the Anaerobic and Neuro-muscular energy systems. Vo2 is still used, but it's on the low part of the overall wattage trough, behind everything else. You still need to develop it, but as my own recent experience will dictate - climbing at Vo2 max usually means getting dropped... You'll need to spend time above and below that zone when climbing in a pack, so you can eke out the climb.

Finally, the last six weeks, we'll revisit Vo2max intervals, but we'll combine them with Threshold efforts as well. Again - you can't hammer out AC Intervals in to perpetuity and continue to think that you'll be able to make gains. Your neural pathways will be fried. I sometimes wonder if AC efforts shouldn't focus more on the AMPERAGE you're sending to the muscles, rather than the actual WATTAGE that the muscles are generating, in AC interval efforts. Returning to Vo2 efforts will allow those systems to recover while still holding on to the gains made from the previous 6 week effort. The Threshold efforts will almost be rote by now, but since this is all about a LONG Etappe, and a LONG climb up Ventoux, well, you'll still need to be able to perform steady climbs.

We'll taper you down on your volume starting at least two weeks out, but you'll be in France by then, anyway, and you'll be able to enjoy your rides that much more.

Sincerely,

Richard Wharton

USA Cycling Level 1 Coach

Author, Watts per Kilogram

Get your exclusive "Watts per Kilogram" CompuTrainer or ErgVideo(TM) Training Plan at

www.onlinebikecoach.com!

Lance Armstrong Foundation

I've decided to use the momentum behind the Etape du Tour to try to do some good. Most of us have been touched in one way or another by cancer. We've had many friends and family who have fought various forms--some have won, some have not. One thing they have in common is that all of them have looked to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for information, support and inspiration.

My goal is to raise $5,000, and present it to the LAF atop Mont Ventoux in France. If you feel inspired to contribute just click on the LiveStrong logo below--it will take you to my fund raising page. Note that 100% of your contribution goes to the foundation.

Thanks for supporting the LAF. LiveStrong!

This Week's Training

Coach Wharton (www.onlinebikecoach.com) sent me the next block of training workouts. I am on a 4-day-a-week plan, plus Sunday's open to do my local morning 3 hour group ride. The plan starts out with lots of short interval work, then transitions to longer intervals, and then to longer high intensity rides.

I thought I would post my workouts this week, to give everyone an idea of a typical week:

MODAY: This is my rest day, and more importantly, the day I watch "24."

TUESDAY: Did a 60 minute workout on the CompuTrainer. Tonight was 27 60x60 intervals at 120% of FTP using the ErgVideo MAP Intervals DVD. Since my FTP is currently 198 watts, the intervals were in the 230-240 watt range for 60 seconds, followed by 60 seconds at recovery, or about 90-100 watts (which is essentially the rolling resistance of the trainer). I am noticing definite improvement over the last time I did these.

WEDNESDAY: Tonight's workout was a 90 minute "Spirited Club Ride" from the ErgVideo DVD set. Coach Wharton inched up my FTP to 200 watts. This ride starts out rather mellow for the forst 20 minutes, then picks up the pace a bit. At about an hour in the guys kick it up and start breaking away and chasing each other down, so there are a number of 2 to 5 minute intervals of hard riding. It mellows out again over the final 10 minutes. Finished at midnight.

THURSDAY: More intervals today--these a little longer. 8 x 90 seconds and 4 x 2 minutes, all at the 120+% FTP range. 60 minutes total.

FRIDAY: Rest day.

SATURDAY: This was scheduled as a group ride day, but I had to do some calibration rides to dial in my power meter. It was my daughter's birthday and I ran out of time to get a full ride in.

SUNDAY: Group ride outside. 3 hour ride that included a 9 mile climb. Fun ride and a good hard workout.

So that's a typical week on the bike. Three nights on the CompuTrainer, and the weekend rides outside, Saturday ride optional as an ErgVideo ride or outside ride--my choice.

Coming soon: Coach Rich describes the plan behind the plan...how does all this training stuff prepare me for a 172 km ride?

Ken

L'Etape du Tour

I'm guessing that anyone reading this blog probably has some notion of what the Etape du Tour is all about, but I thought it might be worthwhile to give a brief description of the event.

Each year, the public is invited to ride a mountain stage of that year's Tour de France. The event draws about 8,000 riders from around the world, and takes place a few days before the actual Tour de France stage. Spots are available only through authorized tour agencies, and are typically sold as part of an organized bike tour that includes hotels, transportation, private rest stops, training rides and other amenities. There are also a limited number of entry-only spots available for purchase for people who want to organize their own trip. The Etape website has links to authorized agents.

Since I had already had our French holiday planned, and since riding the Etape was a rather last-minute idea, I purchased one of these entry-only spots through a US travel agency. It was a multipart process that actually required a doctor's statement verifying that I am healthy enough to participate.

Going it alone, and so late in the process has led to t

he first logistical issue: hotels near the start have been sold out for months. People plan far ahead for this event. My house in Provence is about 1.5 hours from the start, so my options are to drive up the morning of VERY early in the morning to make the 7am departure, or try to find a hotel room on the night before the ride. My search for a room continues...so far no luck.

The ride itself is 172 km in length (about 106 miles), and includes about 10,000 feet of elevation gain (or climbing), more than half of which happens in the final 22 km ascent of Mont Ventoux. Here is the profile:

The UK based company CycleFilm (www.cyclefilm.com) puts out a yearly recon DVD of the Etape. It takes you through the entire route and examines the road conditions, areas to use caution, best places to conserve energy, etc. It is a great resource and the next best thing to taking an advance trip to France to ride the route. They have some preview clips on their site for anyone who wants to get a sneak peak at the countryside we will pass through.

The Etape is officially considered a "race" and each rider carries a transponder that records their finish time. Riders must finish within a certain time (10 hours, I think). If you are overtaken by the "End of Race" vehicles you must leave the race.

So, that is Etape du Tour 101. If you want to join me, I think there are still a few entry-only spots available. Maybe we can share a room.

Ken

Epic Rides

I've watched with amazement as the pro peloton battles through heat, rain, cold and other terrible riding conditions. Mud-caked riders in Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders are the ultimate men's men. As a southern California rider, I'm fortunate to have relatively pleasant riding weather 350 days a year. When the weather turns ugly I ride comfortably indoors on my CompuTrainer.

Yesterday I was determined to go on a long outdoor ride, even though the forecast called for some light rain. How bad could some light rain be, after all? I was joined by a few riding buddies at 7am and we rolled out for a 50 mile ride. About 15 miles into our ride, the light rain started to fall. Then it turned to heavy rain. We pushed on.

At the base of our day's climb--an 8 mile climb averaging about a 6% grade--the rain let up a little. We headed up the mountain. I tend to climb a little bit faster than the rest of the guys, so I was soon on my own. The agreement was that when I hit the top I would turn around and descend, picking up the others who would turn around and come down with me.

I was making very good time going up. It was a little cold, but I felt good. When I hit the top and turned around I found out why. I had been riding with a tail wind. Now that cold wind was right in my face. And it started raining hard.

My nice new Trek Madone came with deep carbon rims that look really sporty. They are not the choice for descending in the wind and rain. The cork brakes were useless when wet. The rear brake barely had any stopping power at all. The wind pushed my bike around the road. My hands and feet were numb despite my cold weather gear. I was soaked through. One-by-one I passed the other riders and they turned to join me.

That 8-mile descent felt like the longest of my life. I pumped the brakes constantly to keep my speed down to about 12mph for fear of picking up too much speed and being unable to slow down through a turn. My legs were shaking from the cold.

When we hit the bottom, all of us were trembling. Isn't this how hypothermia starts? We needed to get somewhere warm.

Thankfully, there really is a Starbucks on almost every block.

A few miles away we found one, and were quickly shedding rain-soaked gloves and jackets, and sucking up hot cafe lattes. My buddy's hands were shaking so bad he dropped his coffee on the floor. We were quite a motley looking group.

Outside, the sun was poking through the clouds. Every ray of sunshine felt magical, warming our skin and drying out our clothes. Finally, it was time to get back on the bikes and get going. As a final bit of insult, the wind was in our faces all the way home. But a little wind was a welcome trade for rain and cold.

I will forever watch the pros race through rain and cold with a newfound respect and awe. I can say there is nothing romantic about it--it is just plain hard work.

The final tally: 4 tired riders, 2 dead iPhones, 1 flat tire.

Solvang Century

Well there was good and bad at Solvang. My finishing time was not what I hoped for, but it was the fastest of the three century rides I have ridden. I think I had a few strikes against me--being pretty sick for a few weeks, and not a great night’s sleep the night before (as I had to drive 2 hours up to Santa Barbara late the night before). That said, I got there on time and was well prepped in terms of having eaten well, and I had all my ride gear in order. The weather was chilly and a little windy, but I had cold weather gear so I was prepared for that.

I rolled out on the course at about 8am. I felt very good, and tried my best to find some groups to ride with that seemed to go at a reasonable pace. I kept an eye on my HR and Wattage, and if it was pushing too high, would drop back and wait for a slower group if necessary. The course was very rolling, and I think the surges had me spiking power more than I should have.

And why don't people on centuries know how to ride in a rotating pace line? It seemed like every line I got in was just someone who felt like pulling and everyone else following. I tried to get one little group going in a proper rotating echelon, but they just couldn't figure it out.

I concentrated on eating and drinking, with a gel and bar every hour along with Heed. I also took an electrolyte cap every hour. I skipped both the first two rest stops as I had plenty of food and water, and felt fine. That was about the last time I felt fine.

At mile 55 or so, I felt the legs going south. I dropped off the back of the group I was in, and went on solo. My HR was just fine, low in fact, but my legs just wouldn't push. I know that feeling, and for me it usually means that if I continue to force them they will cramp. I took it easy until the next rest stop at about mile 60.

At the stop I refilled water and mixed up some Heed, had a gel and some Cliff Bar, and a pee, and stretched out the legs a bit.

On the road again, I knew there were a few climbs ahead. The big climb, it turned out, was really just a long gradual uphill at 1-2%, not the steep climb the profile suggested. Still my legs were just toast and I was creeping along. I was probably in the 100-110 watt range, and it was all I could manage. I felt really stupid. Had I really gone out so hard that I had nothing left? It really didn't feel like it, but I guess I did.

I hit the first steepish climb (6-8%) and actually felt a little better, although pushing just a little too hard gave me the twang of cramps in my inner right thigh. I know all too well that once my legs cramp up, I'll be done, so I was VERY careful to back off at the hint of any cramping.

The second sharper climb was about the same as the last--perhaps a little shorter--with a rest stop just after. This was the last stop, with about 15 miles to go. This time I had some banana, fig bar and an oatmeal cookie. Stretched some more too.

Rolling out for the last 15 miles, and for whatever reason, I recovered a little. I was still plenty tired, but had just a bit more energy in the legs. Maybe it was the banana. Still tiny little cramps, but some on the bike stretching and rubbing seemed to ward them off.

This last part was more or less a very slight downhill run back into Solvang. I finished at 6 hours 11 minutes of riding, including some back-up in and out of the start/finish line.

It wasn't the ride I had hoped for--I really wanted to finish strong. I'm not sure if it was just too much too soon, or if I just asked my body for a little too much after being sick so much. If I had done the half-century I would have nailed it!

And it was a very good indicator of how much work I need to do to get ready for France. One interesting thing--the profile says 5,000 feet climbing, but my meter said I did over 10,000. That seems like a huge discrepancy.

I uploaded the file, but I can say that the issues that I don't see with the Gen 1 iBike at home (on good roads), I did see in Solvang. Power in the pack was questionable, and some of the roads were VERY rough and the power was all over the place on these stretches (mostly in the 2nd half of the ride). Of course, the Gen 3 unit arrived on Saturday and was waiting for me when I got home!

Ken

Here is the reaction from Coach Wharton:

Okay - this is fantastic information, and yes, it definitely gives us some ideas about what we need to do next.

I'm sorry about the sleep. It was a gamble, but I thought it would pay off. I forget that that area of the state can be sort of wine cooler chilly year-round. Next time, we'll put you up in a Motel 6 in SB, and you can knock yourself out with a Tylenol PM. No kidding.

HR was low due to chronic fatigue, temp, and the residual of the illness. Wattage was useless due to the reasons expressed.

We need to get some longer rides in there for you. I'm spending the morning on the PC spreadsheet for ErgVideo, so I may re-work some of your protocols. IF there is any way you can get 90 minute workouts in, and where, please let me know.

Thank you again for the comments in the FredCast. I truly do appreciate it.

Onward and upward, okay?

Sincerely,

Rich Wharton

USAC Level 1 Coach

The Cold From Hell

Big plans to ride all weekend. But round two of the cold from hell struck on Thursday and instead I spent the weekend, along with my entire family, sleeping, coughing and generally feeling like garbage. Got on the trainer Thursday night for an hour, then Sunday for 45 minutes of a planned 1.5 hours ride and and had to call it quits.

Feels like it is letting up and I’m not coughing every 30 seconds anymore. Going to have another attempt on the trainer tonight just to keep what fitness I have built up from slipping, and hope for the best on Saturday.

Threshold Test 2

After a good hard week of training, both on and off the CompuTrainer, I rode another ErgVideo Threshold Test to see where I was after being ill for 2 weeks. I tested at 198 watts, which us up from my last test of 192 watts. My goal was 200, but given the time off the bike I’ll take it! And Coach Wharton (www.onlinebikecoach.com) seemed happy with it.

This must be cold and flu season in southern California, because I’ve been hit again. In fact, the entire family has gotten sick. First impression is that maybe it isn’t as bad as the last version. The coming week is a taper to the Solvang Century on the 14th, so I am hoping that some light riding and recovery for a week will allow me to be well and perform well for the ride. My goal is to complete the Century in 5 1/2 hours.

I’m also on Twitter now--the link is on the home page if you want to follow me.

Ken

Etape du Tour 2009

I’ve just discovered that this year’s Etape du Tour will ride the route from Montelimar to the Mont Ventoux summit. I was lucky enough to get a guaranteed place via one of the US agents to still have a couple of spots open. The ride is about 107 US miles (172 km) and includes a number of climbs, culminating with the 1,912 meter ascent of Mont Ventoux from Bedoin. Here is a link to find out more:

http://www.letapedutour.com/2009/ETDT/presentation/us/index.htm

I’ve been back on the CompuTrainer this week, and feeling MUCH better after my bout with the crud. Working towards a new Threshold test ride on Tuesday to see where I stand. I’ll post the results.

Hope everyone enjoyed the Tour of California--it’s great to have a race of this caliber here in the US, and even better that it rolls through my backyard of Pasadena! Happy riding.

Ken

Setbacks

Got hit with the cold from hell two weeks ago. Isn’t that how life works! Feeling good, working hard, then BAM! Two weeks of lots of coughing, vitamins, sleeping, watching the Tour of California live internet coverage, and no riding. I was finally feeling well enough to venture out on a ride yesterday, and was surprised that I had retained a good deal of the fitness from before I got sick. Not 100%, but I didn’t ride as poorly as I thought I would!

My plan is to repeat my last week of training workouts--maybe reduce the FTP a tad if needed, and do another FTP Test in a week to see where I stand. I then have about 2 weeks to hit it hard, and then taper a little before the Solvang Century in March.

As upsetting as setbacks are, Coach Wharton nicely reminded me that most of us are not professionals and don’t get paid for riding--so don’t let these little things get you down and just focus on having fun. I can do that.

Ken

Another Threshold Test

Last night I performed the ErgVideo Threshold Test for the second time. The test goes like this:

• A 10 minute CT calibration at 150 watts.
• A 25 minute warm-up, building in intensity to several intervals at 100% and above threshold power.
• Either a 60 minute or 20 minute time trial effort. At the end of the time-trial, the software calculates your functional threshold power and saves this as an html file which is displayed via your web browser.

My first test on January 1st came in at an FTP of 189 watts. This time I tested at 192 watts. I haven’t discussed the results with coach Wharton yet, but I’ll take any improvement I can get as a sign that I’m moving in the right direction.

Hats off to ErgVideo for a really slick piece of software--it is great knowing that I am able to track my progress in an objective manner and get an accurate picture of where I am at each month.

One note--I had not updated my ErgVideo player software, and as fate would have it the TT file will not convert (a bug that has been addressed in the latest version). My bad for not paying attention!

Hope everyone is enjoying the Tour Down Under, and looking forward to the Tour of California!

Finally, tickets to France have been purchased, and I can’t wait for Mont Ventoux in July!

Solvang Confirmed

This week I received confirmation of my Solvang Century registration. It was a little kick in the butt, as I have been a bit of a slacker after the holidays. Got on the CT last night for a great round of 4 x 9 minute threshold repeats, and back on again tonight for 2 x 20s. I am looking forward to the next 4-week block of workouts from Coach Wharton.

I continue to feel that the CompuTrainer, and ErgVideo combination delivers the most performance increase per minute of training available on any indoor system I know. That said, it is not without areas in need of improvement. There are a few notable areas where the CT could stand to rejoin the 21st Century:

1: Ride files. To get a ride file into WKO+ (perhaps the most common serious training log/analysis software available) requires multiple steps. You have to import the ride file into the Coaching Software and export it out again, then load WKO+ to open the new txt file. I’m not sure why RacerMate can’t just allow the user to set up a preference to automatically save the ride file in whatever format(s) the user wants, in one step, from whichever program you are running (ie, 3D, Coaching, ERG or Multi-Rider).

2: Program Usage: Speaking of multiple RacerMate programs--why does there need to be multiple programs? Just give us one program and let us decide what mode to run it in. Integration please! Only Multi-Rider requires a separate purchase, and I’m sure they could allow its functionality within the larger program to be enabled via a registration code once the additional fee has been paid.

3: Design: I know the main point of workout software is functionality, but RacerMate really needs a good graphic designer. The layouts are pretty hard on the eyes. They feel like software titles designed by engineers, for engineers. As an end-user I actually do care about how things look.

4: Mac Please. Okay, I know I’m in the vast minority, but with most Macs now Intel native, porting over software to the Mac is easier than it has ever been. We are seeing lots of PC game titles being quickly ported to Intel Mac. I hate having to re-start in PC mode just to run my software (but I’m glad I can). I know the developers will say there isn’t enough money in the Mac market to develop for it. But I’ll keep asking.

I know developing for a small marketplace is challenging, and it is no doubt difficult to decide where to assign resources that will show a return on the investment. But I can’t help but think that RaceMate needs to step up and give their software a solid interface update soon to stay in the game.

If you are interested in joining me and a few thousand other riders, here is the link to the Solvang Century:

http://www.bikescor.com/solvang/welcome.htm

ErgVideo Threshold Test

Back from the distractions of the holidays. Too much eating, not enough bike riding, and I am a little tardy in keeping up with the blog. Here is the latest. The ErgVideo Threshold Test DVD arrived in my mailbox a couple of weeks ago. Coach Wharton had estimated my threshold power at 190 watts, which I have been using for my workouts and it seemed about right in terms of generating ErgVideo workouts that are challenging, yet not overwhelming.

So after a rest day I installed the Threshold Test, and gave it my best shot. The first thing to report is that the test REQUIRES that you warm up properly. This is a 20 minute warm up that ramps up in intensity and includes a number of intervals at 100% and above threshold power. It was more intense than I ever would have warmed up on my own, and I am sure how I SHOULD be warming up for a time trial effort!

The test itself offers both a 20 minute and 60 minute time trial to determine threshold power. I chose the 20 minute test because I am still a wimp. The time trial is done on a 1% grade, in which you follow another rider. You are NOT riding this in ERG mode, in other words, you ride at whatever power level you can maintain(which makes sense, as this is a test after all). The rider you see is only a visual aid that helps you pace yourself--I found it to be helpful seeing someone else so at least I could convince myself that I was not suffering alone.

At the end of the test, the software calculates your threshold power and displays the stats as an html page. I tested at 189 watts--almost right in line with Coach Wharton’s estimate.

Now that the holiday’s are behind me it is back to a regular training schedule and regular reports on my progress. Happy 2009 to all!

Ken