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.