andy: 2012年4月アーカイブ
I'm steadily building up to longer and tougher rides. Getting ready for Tokyo~Itoigawa. Pump up the volume!
I don't think you have to go out and ride 300km to be ready. I'm trying to increase the workload on a daily basis. An extra 10, 20 kilometres. 60 km instead of 40. 80 km instead of 60. 100km instead of 80.
I can really notice these increases in volume. Tired legs after a ride. It's important not to push the body too hard. Think of the bigger picture. Each day is a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. I've got the corners. And the sides. Now it's time to fill up the middle.....
Another 430 start today. R8 to Kakizaki. Yoshikawa. R253. Oshima. Matsudai. Shiba Toge. Takayanagi. R252.
As the event gets near I'll do the じょんのび２００ course once (maybe twice) at race pace.
Monday's training: Road (90 km, 31.8 kmph)
On the road at 430. Still dark. Waiting for the sun.
Arm warmers. Leg warmers. Still cold. Waiting for the sun.
Coastline? Or mountains? Mountains! R353. Nota. Climb 1. Ukawa. Climb 2. Ishiguro. Turn right. R78. Climb 3. Steep. Wet. Rough. Sunrise.
Drop down. Climb 4. Legs feel good. Asahi no sato. Fast descent. R253 to Matsudai. Climb 5. Easy climb. Morning mist. Cherry trees.
Long descent into Matsudai. 7-11. Hot coffee. R403. Carp streamers.
Climbs 6 and 7. Narrow road. Wild river.
Along the valley. Nice and fast. Oguni. R291. Climb 8. Big ring. Push. Push. Push. Kita jo. Yasuda. Home.
Yahiko for the day with Andrew and family......
Saturday's training:
Road (95 km, 29.5 kmph, 125/165 HR, 1915 kcal, 79 cadence)
After 6 back to back days of hard training, I took a rest day today. No such thing as a "rest day" when you've got young children though!
27 degrees in Echigo Hillside Park. Climbing up. Sliding down...
All out じょんのび！
Saturday: rest day
R252. Up the valley. Strong wind on my back. On the aerobars. 35～40kmph. Takayanagi in 30 minutes.
Follow the road to the left. Start the climb. In the small ring briefly. Tunnel at the top. Other side. More snow. And colder too.
R403. Up down. Up down. Cherry blossoms. Stop at a spring. Mineral water.
Who needs sports drinks?
Fast descent. Fast flats. R291. Last climb. Big ring. Aerobars. Push. Push. Push. Chilly at the top. Drop down. Kita jo. Yasuda. Shindo. Home.
Akasakayama park for one last hanami...
Friday's training: Road (68 km,32.5 kmph, 127/162 HR, 1147 kcal, 84 cadence)
Five climbs of the pass between Kujiranami and Shindou today. From the Kujniranami side it's not so steep and you can do it in the big ring and on the aerobars.
Kind of like the climb from Takao at the start of Tokyo~Itoigawa or the short-lived Tokura hill climb.
That's not to say it isn't technical though. The gradient varies. A couple of steep rises and some faster gentler sections. You have to choose your gears wisely.
Shift up too soon and you spin out and lose momentum. Shift up too late and you pay for it in the legs.
- Climb 1 tempo
- Climb 2 TT (6:22, 152/161 HR, 34.9 kmph)
- Climb 3 TT (6:19, 152/162 HR, 35.1 kmph)
- Climb 4 TT (6:10, 152/163 HR, 36.0 kmph)
- Climb 5 TT (6:09, 155/166 HR 36.1 kmph)
Thursday's training: Road (65 km)
Yesterday's training focussed on building strength and stamina. Make me stronger!
Today I focussed on my position on the bike. Make me aero!
I tried out my new aerobars. Syntace C3. These are slightly different to the Syntace C2 which I have used on my Vitus bike. The Syntace aerobars allow for a range of arm rest positions, and the bars can be held in a number of ways. Beneath the arm rest pads, finger grips can be used when climbing.
I set the bars to the same angle I had them on my Vitus. However, the new bike set up is more compact (a 110mm stem compared to 130mm on the Vitus). The position on the bike felt almost "too easy". After an hour at that angle, I decided to drop the angle lower.
For an event like TOITO, comfort is the most important thing. I want to be in a position that makes me go faster but which I can hold for pretty much all the ride. For short TT events like Tsunan and Uchinada, maybe I'll drop the bars even lower.
Riding at speed. Tucked down on the bike. It's always great fun....
Wednesday's training:
Road: (85 km)
A ride to make me stronger. The kind of rides I used to do. A Kashiwazaki Classic.
Head up the valley. Wind on my back. Nota. Gateway to the mountains. Steep climb up to Ukawa. Drop down. Some water from the spring.
Climb up to the tunnel. 20kmph keep. Cold in the tunnel. Fast descent. Ishiguro. R353. The じょんのび rollercoaster. Open 365 days a year. 5 steep climbs. 5 tricky descents.
Climb no.5. Concrete. Steep. Paris~Roubaix? Ishiguro~Matsudai!
Short cut along the ridge. Shiba Toge. Steep and winding. Onsen. Rolling along the top. Beautiful scenery. Drop down to Tochigahara. Road closed to cars. Cherry blossom. Thatched farm houses.
じょんのび onsen. ISONOBE? Why not! Road goes up. Arm warmers go down.
Steep. Steep. Steep. AJ at the top.
Takayanagi. R252. Chance for some speed. In the drops. Stretch the back. Minami sabaishi. Tajima Toge. Easy after Isonobe. But the legs are aching. Push upstairs. Push downstairs. Take a left. Nice climb. Ishikawa Toge. Fun descent. Farm house ruins. Wild Ponies. Oguni.
Last big climb. R291. Long and easy. Big gear. All the way. Kita jo. Yasuda. Shindou. Home.
Legs aching. Bike dirty. Great training!
Tuesday’s training:
Road (108 km)
LT test - 169 LTHR
Today I killed two birds with one stone. Two tests in one.
The lactate threshold test estimates your LTHR. This value is perhaps the most important training value. The average HR over a 20 minute “as hard as you can” effort. For the last few years, I am consistantly hitting the 169 HR figure.
20 mins TT - 63.4 kmph
This was my 6th go at a 20 minute TT. I warmed up well.
Warm up
- 45 kmph x 5 mins
- 50 kmph x 5 mins
- 55 kmph x 5 mins
- 60 kmph x 5 mins
I then started the clock. At first I tried to hold 64 ~ 65 kmph. Soon I realized I was overdoing it and aimed for 63~64 kmph. I held it quite comfortably, although I was cooking in the garage. For the last 1 minute I went full gas. The first time to see 180 HR this year.
Today’s TT:
- HR: 169 AV / 180 MAX
- Speed: 63.4 kmph AV (67.0 kmph MAX)
- Cadence: 112 AV (127 MAX)
- Temp: Approx 20C
- Gear: 50 × 11
- Bike: LYNSKEY
Cooking! All out じょんのび！
I had excellent form then, so just 0.2 kmph slower today is a good value.
Like last time, I made the classic mistake of going too hard too early. I should have read what I said in September “My strategy next time will be to ride comfortably at 62 kmph for 10 minutes. Do the next 7 minutes at 64 kmph and then go full gas for the last 3 minutes.”
Save that till next time then!
Monday's training：
Rollers - 20 min TT No. 6
I made my decision not to go to Kusatsu at the last minute. The build up to race was the same as always the week before. Ease off. Stretch. Massage. Hydration. Sleep (12 hours last night!)...
I'm curious to know how well prepared I am. On the rollers today. Build the speed up. See how fast I can go aerobically.
It's been a few weeks since I hit the rollers. I can see my progress. 60, 62 kmph feels easy. At 64 kmph the HR climbs to 170 LT HR. Let the HR drop a little and bring it back.
There's nothing like a race, a hill climb race, to show you where you are at. Still, with today's session, I can see I'm getting stronger....
Sunday's training:
Rollers – ride to the music – Supercar's three out change
1.cream soda (3:13) 45 kmph
2.(Am I) confusing you ? (4:43) 50 kmph
3.smart (3:01) 52 kmph
4.DRIVE (3:33) 54 kmph
5.Greenage (3:21) 56 kmph
6.u (3:31) 58 kmph
7.Automatic wing (5:12) 60 kmph
8. Lucky (4:14) 62 kmph
9.333 (2:36) 64 kmph
10.TOP 10 (2:52) 60 kmph
11.My Way (3:42) 62 kmph
12.Sea Girl (2:50) 64 kmph
13.Happy talking (2:47) warm down
14.Trash & Lemmon (3:09) warm down
Total: 45 mins
Last year I slipped off the podium at Kusatsu. This year, I'll slip off the start list. There'll be a DNS next to my name tomorrow. Still, better than a DNF!
Luke had to go into hospital late Friday night. Problems breathing just like Mark had at the end of February. 2 nights in the hospital for dad and Luke. Nothing to worry about. But no chance to get over to Kusatsu. Family has to come first.
The hospital is right next to Akasakayama Park. A chance to check out the cherry blossoms with Mark this afternoon. Gorgeous weather. Even got a chance for a sneaky beer....
Next up? Tokyo~Itoigawa!
Saturday: rest day
Two more wheels arrived from GS Astuto Just in time for Kusatsu. I'm honored to have this chance. Thanks Tim!
Both are lightweight rear wheels. A 24mm rim and a 50mm rim (which is about 200g heavier but has aero benefits).
Today I tried out the 24mm wheels on the front and back. Pick up the bike and it's noticably lighter. On the road the freewheel sounds fantastic.
Unfortunately, just 5 minutes into the ride, I get a puncture. Likely a stone. That's the problem with Niigata roads at this time of year. Luckily I'm near to Enosan's place and he fixes it with some sealant. I hope it holds.
They say a good set of wheels will give you a 10% advantage. Sure enough on the climb between Shindou and Kujiranami I can hold 22 kmph (as opposed to 20 kmph) with my training wheels yesterday.
Next I try the sweeping climb between Kujiranami and Tanne. I notice the benefits as I accelerate out of the saddle. The gears are a bit mashed up though. I need to sort that out.
I'll get a tyre set up on the deep rim too. Which one to use for Kusatsu? Spoilt for choice!
Friday's training: Road (38km)
In the week between two races, pros often race midweek to keep things going. I too want to do one hard effort between Gunma and Kusatsu.
I haven't felt ready for intensive training this week. I feel better today though.
7 climbs of the little pass between Shindo and Kujiranami. 4 attacks. 3 spin ups.
- Climb 1 Hard
- Climb 2 Easy
- Climb 3 Hard
- Climb 4 Easy
- Climb 5 20 kmph +
- Climb 6 Easy
- Climb 7 20 kmph +
No HR, cadence or speed targets for the first two attacks. Just a hard effort from bottom to top.
Try to hold 20 kmph+ for the last two attacks. The HR builds slowly. A real controlled effort.
Time to rest now before Kusatsu...
Thursday's training:
Road (40 km)
Spring in Tsunan
A couple of interesting events will take place in Niigata in May and June:
1. Points race:
May 27th Sunday
- 2km TT
- 2.3 km hill climb (TT?)
- Criterium race
Entry fee covers all three races. Kids (elementary, JHS) can enter the TT and hillclimb.
Location: Tsunan, Niigata
Cost: 4000 yen (plus 500 yen for riders without a racing licence)
Yahiko Keirin track
2. Track meeting:
June 3rd Sunday
- TT (200m FTT, 1km, 2km)
- Scratch race 4km
- Keirin
I don’t think the Keirin is open to general public but the other events are. Split into roadbike / track bike categories. Kids (elementary, JHS) can enter the TT only.
Location: Yahiko Keirin track, Niigata
Cost: 1000 yen
Both events are in a good location with lots of family stuff.
Tsunan in the mountains, with nice roads and Nozawa Onsen / Shiga Kogen nearby.
Yahiko is a nice village with the kerin track, Yahiko mountain (2 skyline roads), Yahiko shrine and the beach.
I have further details and application forms (in Japanese). Send me a mail if you are interested.
Working in Takayanagi today. I was planning a climb of Isonobe before work. But with a heavy backpack and a cold headwind, I lose enthusiasm along the way. Don't fancy getting wet and dirty before work...
I climb Tochigahara instead. A decent climb in itself. The road is open all year to access Tochigahara village.
It's no red carpet ride but it's cleaner than Isonobe. Beyond the village the road has been cleared but is still closed to traffic. Unfortunately time is tight and there's no time to continue on up to Shiba Toge today...
Wednesday's training:
Road (58 km)
I don't get chance to do many long rides these days. Sometimes it's nice just to take it easy. Put some miles down. Over 100 km today. Easy pedaling all the way...
Tuesday's training:
Road (114 km. 30.8 kmph, 116 HR, 1600 kcal, 80 cadence)
A really warm day today. First time to ride without the winter jacket. As you head inland and the snow builds up it gets colder though.
Checked out Komura Pass. Still about 1m of snow at the foot of the pass. Mada mada.
I took the pass up to Ukawa instead. Legs don't feel too bad but the heart rate doesn't respond. 150 max even on the steepest sections. Not recovered from Saturday's race effort yet. Mada mada.
This week's plan? Spin tomorrow. Climbs on Wednesday. Spin on Thursday. Rest up for Kusatsu....
Sunday: rest day
Monday's training: Road (45 km)
it all starts here, first race 2012, on the road to Gunma CSC
JCRC第3ステージ群馬CSCに行ってきました。Sクラス、コース6周（36キロ）のレースに参加しました。
計画は"4周で逃げる AND/OR ジェイムズさんのアシストする"でした。
最初からグループのトップで引っ張って走りました。アタックしてみて、ほかの選手のアタックをマークして、なかなか楽しいレースでした。
僕のアドバンテージは登りじゃなくて、下りでした。毎周回下りで一番前を走って、二つのカーブに入って、出て、グループに差をつけました。ここはアタックポイントかな？
4周目の登りで一人の選手ががアタック！5周に入って、下りで僕もアタック！
二つのカーブから出て、後ろを見たら、いない！ここからが大事だ。フルガス。橋の下から登って、ローリングに入って、ここからだよ！
登りに入って、ヘアピン、"20秒！"、"20 seconds!"
そうだ！前に一人だ！逃げてるんじゃなくて、チェイスしてる！
フルガス。調子いいぞ。ホームストレート。"30秒！"ええっ、前の選手が早い！ベルがドンドンドン。ラストラップ。後ろ？いない。
下り、ローリング、登り。後ろ？来てる！ヘアピン。二人が来た。一人はそのまま(2位になる選手)。僕プラスもう一人。そして、グループ！
ジェイムズさんに"リードアウトしますよ！"。グループのトップで引っ張って。引っ張って。引っ張って。
ゴールの手前、左から、右から、3位のスプリント！
ジェムズさん、上手くできなかった、ごめんね！
良いレースでした。良いポイントは三つ:
- グループのトップで引っ張って走りました
- 逃げることができました
- 最後までスプリントのリードアウトしました
楽しかったし、良いトレーニングだったし、また頑張るじょんのび！
park life!
Today I went to the 3rd stage of the JCRC series at Gunma CSC. The S-class was 6 laps of the 6km (36km) circuit.
I had two intentions, to try to get away on the 4th lap and / or to help James with his challenge for the S-class series.
From the start I rode at the front of the group. Doing most of the pulling. Trying a few attacks. Marking the attacks of others. Having fun.
It became clear that my advantage was not on the climbs (as is usually the case) but on the descents. Each lap I was on the front for the descent. Into the two curves. Out of the two curves. And I would have a nice gap. Perhaps this is the best place to try an attack?
On the 4th lap, one rider attacked on the big climb. As we entered the 5th lap and into the downhill, I tried an attack too. Into the two curves. Out of the two curves. Look back? Nobody! Crucial from here. Full gas. Under the bridge. Up the ramp. The rolling section. Here we go!
Up the big climb. Around the hair pin. “20 seconds!” Oh yeah! There's another guy up the road. I'm not escaping. I'm chasing!
Full gas. Feeling good. Into the home strait. “30 seconds!”. Wow, the guy up front is flying. Ding ding ding goes the bell. Last lap. Look back? Nobody.
The descent. The rolling section. The climb. Look back? They're coming! Around the hairpin. Two guys come from behind. One carries on past (he'll finish second). We're a two. Then comes the group.
“James, I'll try to lead you out”. On the front of the group again. Pull. Pull Pull. Just before the line. From the left. From the right. The sprint for 3rd place.
James, sorry I couldn't make a better go of it!
It was a good race with three good points:
- I did much of the work pulling at the front of the group.
- I managed to try a breakaway.
- I was still in the mix to lead out at the finish.
Great fun. Great training. Looking forward to the next race!
First race of the season tomorrow. The JCRC series 3rd stage at Gunma CSC. I'll race the S-class. 36 km, 6 laps of the 6km circuit. Relatively short compared to other races held there.
This last couple of weeks I've been tweaking my form: hills, intervals, motorpacing.
I'm not at my strongest. But you never are in April. Most other riders are the same. And usually I can do quite well in the early season. It looks like rain too. My kind of race!
A spin today to remind the legs. Check the race wheels. Soft pedaling all the way...
Friday's training:
Road (55 km, 30 kmph, 116 av HR)
There are not many places in the world like this. Where you can swim in the sea in summer. And ski in the mountains in winter.
I love the Niigata climate. Four clearly defined seasons.
Winter however has been particularly harsh this year. More snow than usual. And longer than usual. Four months of winter.....
We seem to be entering spring now. The first time to see "sunshine" marks dominating the forecast this year.
Lots of chances for riding. How great it feels to be on the bike!
One last push today before Saturday's race. I'm feeling like a racing cyclist at last...
Thursday's training:
Road:
- warm up x 20 mins
- intervals 45s hard / 90s easy x 10 sets
- tempo - 140 target HR x 50 mins
(60 km, 33.1 kmph, 135/171 HR, 1300 kcal, 79 cadence)
I wanted to do a tempo ride today. Commuting is a good way to do this. Push on to be at work/home on time.
Today was forecast cloudy in the morning. Rain in the afternoon. And it did just that.
I'm not a fan of getting wet on the way to work. But coming home in the rain, with a hot bath waiting, isn't too bad. Besides, riding in the rain makes you stronger!
Wednesday's training:
Road (Takayanagi commute - 48km)
Everyone has their own Everest. For Lance Armstrong it is the Madone
For me it's Isonobe
Nothing like a steep climb to tell you were you are at. Like the Madone, you will never beat Isonobe. It will always have the upper hand. Steep. Technical. And at this time of year, very very dirty.
"A wise man climbs Isonobe once. A brave man climbs it twice!" Two climbs today. Both at 170 HR.
I'm happy that I could get the heart rate up on both climbs. The first time to do it this year. I was pretty much stuck in my lowest 34×25 gear though. When I have good form, I can make use of a few more gears.
The road was like a river in several places. Okay going up but not much fun coming down. Time to clean the bike and kit.....
Tuesday's training: Isonobe x 2 (63 km)
These last few training sessions I've been focussing on getting myself race ready: speed intervals, sprint intervals, motorpacing.
It's important not to forget the basic pleasure of riding though. No plan today. Just a ride. Just enjoy the sensations of climbing, descending and being blown about in the wind...
Monday's training: Road (58 km)
Up at 5 am for asaren. More snow! Back to bed...
What I really want to do today is some motorpacing. Second only to actual racing to get you race fit.
I'm lucky to have such a supportive family. It's all about give and take really. I look after the kids while mum goes shopping. She drives to the onsen, the kids take a nap in the back, while pacing dad behind...
It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. Sunshine and blue skies. Riding out of central Nagaoka I feel good with the change of pace through traffic. Follow the Shinano river to Teradoamari. Some nice curves in the road to accelerate out of.
When you are tucked up behind the car, holding 60 kmph is a doddle really. Sure it's high intensity. You have to keep focussed and spin a high cadence in the outer top just to keep in contact.
The challenge in motor pacing is when you are dropped. Like in a road race, it's a fight to get back on. You push yourself so hard. So hard. Like your life depends upon it.
Avoiding being dropped is all about concentration. You don't get dropped in the obvious places like on small hills, because you are focussed here. It's when you let your mind wonder. Slack off a little. Take a swig from the bottle. Or worse still, try to take a photo!
From Teradomari we take the coast road to Ishiji. Just in time to see the sunset from the onsen.
One hour of concentration, high speed and intense effort. Just what I need to get me ready for next week's road race...
Sunday's training:
Road (motor pacing)
(47.5 km, 44.0 / 62.7 av/max kmph, 147/178 HR av/max, 865 kcal, 90 / 116 av/max cadence)
Cold. Snow. Wind. April?
The afternoon spent in karaoke today. The Righteous Brothers, The Walker Brothers, The Isley Brothers, The Everly Brothers, The Chemical Brothers, The Wood Brothers.....
In the evening, a quick session on the rollers. The Manics on the stereo. A beer in the bath. And a belated birthday party for Mark...
Saturday's training: Rollers - ride to the music - Manic Street Preachers' Everything Must Go
1. "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier" 40 kmph - 3:29
2. "A Design for Life" 50 kmph - 4:16
3. "Kevin Carter" 55 kmph - 3:24
4. "Enola/Alone" 60 kmph - 4:07
5. Everything Must Go 50 kmph - 3:41
6. "Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky" 55 kmph - 3:02
7. "The Girl Who Wanted to Be God" 60 kmph - 3:31
9. "Australia" 50kmph - 4:04
10. "Interiors 55kmph - 4:17
11. "Further Away" 60 kmph - 3:38
12. "No Surface All Feeling" warm down - 4:14
Total: 45 mins
Some leg work at the gym today. Running and steps. A high enough intensity to "feel the burn". But careful not to push too hard.
On the rollers, some more top end work. Sprint intervals.
- 53 × 11 gear at 120+ cadence.
The speed touches 70 kmph. The heart rate touches LT 170 HR.
Although the effort is greater than this as the heart rate doesn't have time to respond.
After 45 minutes, I'm glad to climb off and open up a beer...
Friday's training:
Gym:
- Run: 217 m x 20 laps (4.34 km)
- Steps: level 20 × 20 mins
- Treadmill: 4% / 10.5 kmph x 20 mins (3.5 km)
- Steps: level 20 × 10 mins
Rollers:
- warm up x 10 mins
- sprint intervals 40s hard / 80 s easy x 5 sets
- tempo x 5 mins
- sprint intervals 60s hard / 120 s easy x 5 sets
- warm down x 7 mins
Total: 45 mins
Back on the rollers tonight. The weather this year is frustrating. But there's no reason why you can't get good training in.
The JCRC race in Gunma is just over a week away. I have little top end training under my belt. Time for some race simulation tonight.
Build up the speed to 60 kmph and around LT 170 HR. Hold it for two songs. Like being off the front.
Drop the speed to 50 kmph. The heart rate drops to around 150 HR. The kind of level required for riding near the front of the group.
Off the front again. Back in the group. Another attack. Back in the group. Warm down.
I want to go harder and longer than this at Gunma, but it's good training.
Wednesday: rest day
Thursday's training: Rollers - ride to the music - The Wedding Present's George Best
- Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft 40 kmph
- What Did Your Last Servant Die Of? 45 kmph
- Don't Be So Hard 48 kmph
- A Million Miles 50 kmph
- All This and More 52 kmph
- Getting Nowhere Fast 54 kmph
- My Favourite Dress 56 kmph
- Shatner 58 kmph
- Something and Nothing 60 kmph
- It's What You Want That Matters 60 kmph
- Give My Love to Kevin 50 kmph
- Anyone Can Make a Mistake 55 kmph
- You Can't Moan, Can You? 60 kmph
- All About Eve 60 kmph
- Nobody's Twisting Your Arm 50 kmph
- Nothing Comes Easy 55 kmph
- Don't Laugh 60 kmph
- I'm Not Always So Stupid 60 kmph
- Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now? - warm down
- Not from Where I'm Standing - warm down
- Give My Love to Kevin (acoustic version) - warm down
Total: 1h 5 mins
Another windy morning today. The wind seems to be coming from all directions.
A new chain on my bike runs smoothly and silently.
First climb of Yahiko this year. It seems steeper!
Tuesday's asaren:
Road
Yahiko (Nozomi climb) (112.7 km, 28.7 kmph, 127/164 HR, 2390 kcal, 83 cadence)
Coming back from Gunma yesterday in the car we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Through the tunnel to Niigata. A snow storm!
Bad weather through the night but the weather cleared for some asaren.
A strong icy wind this morning. Hitting me in the face. Hitting me in the side. Guard up. Head down.
I'm in the cross gear. Big ring on the front. Big cog on the back. On the ropes. The next move is the small ring. Like throwing in the towel on the flats.
The wind has me in the corner for the whole ride. The only chance I get to come out fighting is the final few kilometres back into town...
Monday's asaren:
Road - Teradomari loop
(72.7 km, 29.5 kmph, 127 / 158 HR, 85 cadence, 1522 kcal)
Enjoying a few days in Gunma, my heart tells me to explore. To find a few interesting climbs.
But my head tells me to make use of my time. To make use of the mountain I can see from the window.
Three more climbs of Mt. Myogisan this morning. All three on the steep side.
Another 5 am start. Much colder this morning. Especially on the descents.
Make the top on the first climb just as the sun is rising over the rocks.
This is a tough climb and would make a good hillclimb course.
I want to do climbs 2 and 3 at LT 170 HR but the heart doesn't respond today. Can make mid 160s on the second climb. Struggle to hit 160 on the third.
A lack of climbing. A lack of sleep. A slight cold. A hard first climb. All these things count for sure.
Still, I'm just glad to get some hills under my belt.
Back for a buffet breakfast and "asafuro" in the onsen. Life doesn't get much better...
Sunday's training:
Road
Climb 1 - intervals (30 s hard / 90 s easy) x 10 sets
Climb 2 - 160 + HR
Climb 3 - 160 HR
