Freezing Outside - Intervals Inside Feb24, 2023

 Too cold to ride outside - 19F this morning at about 8am.  Too much for me!

Intervals inside today - still working using the lower FTP values......

Testing Day - the FTP reality check - Feb 23, 2023

 While age may only be a number to some folk's thinking, Functional Threshold Power (FTP*) numbers don't lie.  I really need to kick up my FTP numbers.

I have been diligently putting off doing a FTP test since they are; a) painful to do; b) get better when you test more frequently so I have been reluctant to get started because of (a); c) don't let you hide behind your Strava segments or peer cycling exploits.  FTP just tells you where you are at, even if you don't want to be there! 

Before the tests today, I looked back at some historical data and I had respectable FTP values for an old guy without a lot of talent.  Wow, do those numbers seem high compared to where I am today! 

In any event, I did the 30 minute FTP warmup protocol (see figure below) and then did a 20 minute version of the FTP test which everyone seems to use these days. A few years ago we did 30 minute FTP tests.....am glad I went for the 20 minute version!

I was surprised at how low my FTP was compared to what I guessed it might be based on riding.  In my head, I was about 228 Watts for the FTP but the test said I was actually about 210 Watts.  Ouch! That is a huge drop off. And compared to my earlier data from 6 years ago or so, I have really declined.

The good news is that I expect it will be easier to improve from such a low baseline!  I will be shooting for another test in about 6 weeks and we'll see where we are.  Until then, just keep spinning.           

                             

* FTP - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/learn/articles/what-is-threshold-power/   and https://help.trainingpeaks.com/hc/en-us/articles/204071934-How-to-Calculate-Threshold-Power-Heart-Rate-or-Pace

Snohomish/Everett TREATS Ride, Feb 21, 2023

 

Nine of us braved the wind and uncertain skies this morning for the weekly free group ride, TREATS*. This week we were in the Snohomish/Everett area on rural roads and urban bike pathways. We seemed to experience three seasons with a little spring (birds and buds), a little fall (leafless deciduous trees), and a dose of winter rain - alas, no summer. While we had blue skies and sunshine for a while, the memorable part of the experience was the epic rainfall when in northern Everett heading for the lunch stop. After which, of course, the sun and blue skies came out again. The really good news is that we were prepared for the rain and we can ride pretty much year round in our area - admittedly, riding in February does require a certain fortitude and acceptance of such conditions. 

 

We did get to observe how a team can figure out how to repair a difficult flat tire situation!

 

Shown below are some of the interesting sights seen on our route today.

 

* TREATS - Tuesday Regular Eclectic Active Tours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Ride to Sammamish Plateau for Coffee, Feb 19, 2023

 Nine of us believed the weather forecasters this Sunday morning for our weekly free group ride for coffee out of Woodinville. Instead of the heavy rains we experienced earlier in the morning, we headed out in a light mist and ended without having any real rain at all for the whole ride! To be fair, we had an exit plan if things turned bad on us but we never used it and did the planned route! Sometimes you just have to head out despite what it might be and hope (admittedly with computer simulation model help) that conditions will be improving.  This was a day made for fenders, however, as the roads and trails were still wet. My riding booties showed the kind of stuff our bikes were experiencing!  Coffee and snacks on the Sammamish Plateau made for a needed break in the riding. Overall, a pretty good day of riding considering we are only in mid February! 

 

Scouting Ride with Cycling Friends Feb 16 2023

 Since the thinking is to slightly increase distance and elevation of our weekly rides going into the Spring months, I needed to revisit some older routes which due to construction, pandemic, general laziness, etc. I haven't been on for some years!  Today, we explored Juanita Hill, "the easy way", where we climbed it from the north to the south and added in the diversion to Denny Park (and the subsequent climb back up).  The rest of the route was pretty standard through Bellevue, Beaux Arts, and Kirkland.  With a few last minute gravel sections added (which were shortcuts) the elevation at about 2500 feet was about right for a future ride but the distance at 41+ miles was a little low.  We'll need to find a way to bump it up by about 5 miles.

A good sized gaggle of riders today, all of whom are experienced and compatible riding with me and with each other.  Another one of those miraculous Feb days which briefly had some sun but which didn't rain at all during our ride time.  I particularly appreciated having dry pavement going down Holmes Pt Road which is quite windy and steep. And we even had the Olympic Mountains out behind us from the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge overlook!

The Winring TREATS Ride to Carnation, Feb 14, 2023

 Happy Valentine’s Day!!

The TREATS* ride this week used some route segments I want to incorporate into a Sunday Coffee ride. In particular, it seems like we should be able to do a similar route from our Woodinville starting point to Carnation and be able to complete it in about 50 miles….anyway that would be the goal for a future ride.

Coming out the front door this morning we are clearly still in Winter (ice in the bird bath) and eagerly anticipating Spring (Daffodils are coming up already!).  I think Winring mighr capture it better than Sprinter (too many uses of the word “sprinter”!). So this was definitely a Winring ride with bright sunny skies but icy, frosty trail surfaces on my ride over to the ride start. We had ice concerns pretty much through the first 1/3 of the ride.

14 of us showed up in the cold today which was a nice sized group. All of the riders were pretty experienced so it was a cohesive group despite all the climbing. Our Coffe/snack stop was in Carnation, WA. I hadn’t climbed Union Hill from the east for quite a few years - it actually seemed easier than I recalled it! But I was on the Roubaix today and it is a climbing machine. Definitely a great day to be in the Pacific Northwest!

 

* Tuesday Regular Eclectic Active Tours - and I was just be a rider this week with no leading responsibilities! 

Sunday Cascade Group Ride, Feb 12, 2023

Nineteen of us left Woodinville in the morning sun for our Sunday free group ride for coffee - this week our route went to Factoria and then back up through Bellevue.  Our coffee/rest stop was at The Queen Bee Cafe in Clyde Hill. The picture of the “original” Queen Bee was new to most of us.  Thanks for helping with co-leading to Allan Albright and Chris Nelson. Special acknowledgements to Jeff S. who helped us navigate around a new road closure on the Microsoft Campus and to Lee S. and Michele A. for assistance with pinning corners! Yes, it takes a Village! 

Also riding today: Deanna G., Lee G., Mark M., Leonardo G., Joan L., Teresa N., George W., Chao C., Dayle I., Karen C-S, Zak C-S, Winfry L-V, and Marc N.  

Start of Hill Work Feb 9, 2023 - only one hill but a real one!

 First back to back ride in quite a while although if I do go to Japan next year, it will be critical. Yesterday’s ride was an easy 43 miles around Lk Sammamish Today’s ride was also a loop around Lk Sammamish but with a decent climb up Lakemont in the middle of the ride.  I haven’t gone up Lakemont this way in about a decade - turned out to be a great hill climb and just barely still within my comfort zone! 

Since this was a bit of a scouting ride, I didn’t post it as a formal Cascade Bicycle Club ride but all the people I invited were either ride leaders or experienced cyclists who have done rides with me earlier. I’ve been experimenting with this earlier and usually between 2-4 people join me. Today (including me) we had 12 riders!  I was a bit concerned about the ride getting too big but because everyone was experienced and knew each other, the ride went very smoothly.

The objectives (for me) this week were: a) to start more hill work but don‘t go crazy at first; b) get the Roubaix riding again and see how the natural pace feels without the pressure of adhering to an advertised pace range; c) see if the new fenders hold up to longer rides; d) socialize and have fun!  All 4 aspects of the ride went very well today! 

Riders plus me: Joan, Teresa, Deanna, Lee, Marianne, Lee, Allan, Dayle, Karil, Don, and Clarice.

Lake Sammamish Loop (Feb 8, 2023) - Strava says I only did half!

Warm day - mid 40’s to low 50’s. Cycled a loop around Lk Sammamish for coffee in Issaquah. Easy peasy riding since I am also riding tomorrow with the same basic route but adding in a Lakemont hill climb. And what was that bright orb in the sky today??  

Strava says I wimped out and must not have cycled back as the mapping data only went from the start to the coffee stop. My Garmin watch apparently turned off (power save option I didn’t know I had?) at the long delay at coffee stop. I mapped the return we actually did and it adds 19 miles to the 24 miles which were recorded. It was my fault anyway for forgetting the Garmin 520 this morning for ing me to use the Garmin watch. 

Who knew they put bacon chunks on a maple bar?  Didn’t really care for it.

Always fun to watch impromptu bike clinics at the coffee stop!  The bike got back but it is heading for a repair shop.

Fellow riders: Pam, Elizabeth, Jim, and Marc.