Birthday Bash

It's my birthday today!

So what does any self respecting bike rider do on his birthday? Race of course!!

Last week I reported on my effort at a local criterium race, which did me in before 10 minutes had passed. This time it wasn't so bad and I lasted 30 minutes before withdrawing gracefully.

I had a lap out for "leg mechanical" and then rejoined for a lap but lost my momentum and decided I'd had enough and had done what I'd set out to do (which was to show I can get around OK in a race). It's a bit tricky with the leg, the liner I use fills up with (yuk - wait for it) sweat and it gets a bit squishy to pedal when it's like that. The liner also tends to slip down the leg a bit. So I pulled off to the car quickly to remove the leg and liner, dry them off and put them back on again. It's probably not technically a mechanical but I don't think the race officials are too worried!


Here is the race file with 30-second smoothing.


Heffron Crit D Grade:
Duration: 32:30 (34:56)
Work: 354 kJ
TSS: 57.9 (intensity factor 1.035)
Norm Power: 207
Distance: 18.457 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 747 182 watts
Speed: 3.7 45.9 34.1 kph

With my warm up / cool down, that was a 97 TSS day and so that was plenty. I was a little stiff 'n' sore from last week's race, so no doubt I'll feel this one as well in the coming days. But as they say, the more you train, the more you can train.

Proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Here is my training since 13 June:


My chronic training load is just a touch shy of 30 TSS/day.

I also did a MAP Test during the week. 289 watts. That's about 70% of my prior accident MAP level. I'm also ~ 20% heavier at the moment, so on a power to weight basis, I am classed as "untrained".

I upgraded my crank length twice this week. I tried a 165mm left crank arm earlier in the week, and yesterday I did an easy spin on the ergo with a 170mm crank. That was OK once I'd lengthened my leg a bit, so I put that crank on the race bike and that's what I rode today.

This is very cool news. 170mm is the crank length I use on my track bike, so I have already attained a range of motion sufficient for that, and my normal road cranks are 175mm. So I think in essence I have developed sufficient knee mobility for cycling. It still needs to improve but it's a lot better than it was.

From hereon it is about improving the functional performance of the leg, some weight loss through increased training and diet control and developing the aerobic engine required to drive me faster and put the hurt on a few guys.

Tomorrow is the State Time Trial Championships, so I'll be heading up to Calga to support a few of the lads who are riding.