Post #101 and a Sunday Stroll (or not)

I just realized that my last post was my 1ooth blog entry, so this is number 101.

I heard through the twitter-sphere that today's ride was going to be a pre-racing tune-up so I made sure to actually wake up and get to it. I was not disappointed. We were slated for 70 miles at a hard pace so my plan was to sit in, suck wheel, and take reasonable pulls (sage advice Rich) when I came through the line. By the time we reached 601 the group was whittled down to those that would finish, and I was happy to be there. When we reached the hill on Congress Rd I gave a little too much gas at the bottom and dropped off the back. I grouped with Mark W and we traded pulls to the gas station to regroup. When we got to the fort the attacks started up again, and my legs were pretty sore and tired. Jay went up the road and Rich thought it would be a good idea to tell me to chase him down. My oxygen deprived brain found this to be a brilliant idea and I blew myself up 20-30 seconds later. Thanks Rich :)

I'll have to look at my average power and other stuff later, I'm going to take a nap now. I feel really good about starting the race season next week!

15 minutes

Yup, yesterday's prescription was 3 x 15 minute intervals with 3 minutes of rest, so I headed down to the crit course to get it on. Rich was there and we chatted while I warmed up. He pointed out that the Power Meter can be used as a governor to remind you not to go too hard in the beginning. Armed with that advice I set out to ride in the 240-250Watt range. I made sure not burn though the first 3 minutes and ended up doing pretty well. I had 255W, 247W, and 249W. Pacing like that really worked well. Upon review, my coach said my pacing "in particular is very good". Very good to hear.Of course, he also points out that my average cadence dropped for each interval, meaning that I push a bigger gear and get sloppy as I fatigue. That's something to work on.

Tomorrow is a group ride with 3x25min at the end, so I need to get some quality sleep this evening.

Busta Lung

Armed with the PowerTap and warm weather I started the short stuff in earnest this week.
Yesterday I went out to that road that intersects Bluff that the Elon ride goes down (name? I'm in too much oxygen debt by that time to look at road signs). I had 4x5 minutes on the menu and that did not happen. I started out and was feeling like superman, I rode 425W for the first minute and suddenly I was scrambling to hold power. It fell to 375 and I keeled over at 2:15. Ok, so going downhill, even slightly, kills power. Also, that first minute at 425W, held for 3:3x would be close to enough power to put me on the podium at any International Paracycling Track Race. Overshooting much? So I did 3 sorta halfhearted efforts and quit. tsk tsk

Today I set out with resolve, a repeat of yesterday was not going to happen. The pain of the day was to be delivered in 2 parts. Part A was downhill sprints times 5 with nearly full recovery. Wattage was a little sub max, but that may be because of the hill I came flying down? I was starting between 25 and 30mph and managed to hit 35-36. Still not a sprinter, haha.

Part B was more painful. 30 seconds all out, followed by 1:30 rest times 5. Each interval was a little less powerful than the previous and the graph looks like an AT&T wireless commercial.
My best 30 second wattage was 630, so that continues to climb.

Weight, I'm not quite 132 like I thought, but am sitting at 135lbs/61.2kg.

Edit: At my weight, 425W for 3:35 may very well send me to the Olympics. haha

Sunday

Today was gorgeous.
75 miles in 4 hours 40 minutes, not very fast, but I racked up 2180 kJ points. I almost bonked on Mt Elon Rd from a lack of food but we got to G-Mart just in time for an Oatmeal Cream Pie and Coke.
I'm tired as all get out.

The New Bike

18.99lbs with pedals, cages, and an Aluminum shelled PowerTap Pro laced to a Mavic Open Pro rim with 32 spokes. That's 1.5 lbs lighter than the old Trek and I can drop more with a wheel switch. I'll take the data over the weight.

Today was really my first day to get out on the road on the new bike and I was pleased! The biggest difference was how much road buzz got soaked up, the old bike was a little jarring to ride, especially on the fort. Not so on the six13.
Another difference was power delivery. The six13 is more direct, stomp and go.
And the handling is snappier. A shorter wheelbase will do that, and the new bike begs to tossed around corners.

I'm very happy.

A Power File to Feel Good About

Last night I was out late with my friends, I figured it would be a good weekend to get it out of my system before the racing starts. I woke up this AM to meet my former debate coach to ride with her for a while. Back-story: I was on the debate team my senior year of high school, team policy FTW! She hasn't ridden much recently so we rode at her pace through the fort, accompanied by the most beautiful weather I have seen since the week before Christmas. It was fun and a pretty chill ride. We ate lunch at Earthfare, then I set out to do 3x20 minute intervals at 90-95% PE since I wasn't wearing the HRM strap. The results: 248W, 234W, 243W. When I dropped out the first and last 4 seconds it went up to 249W, 234W, and 245W. The lesson here is that I can't ease up at the end, gotta drive hard right though the 'line'. If you spotted the outlier, the 2nd interval, that was mental drift. I let my mind wander and it showed. Considering that I did 255W for 20 minutes in December at an all-out-I-can-taste-battery-acid-and-see-the-white-light effort I think it was a pretty good training session. On top of that, my weight went from 62.27kg to 60kg over that time. More power, less weight. W/kg FTW!

Charts and Graphs Telling on Me

I slogged away on the trainer for and hour and was supposed to do 15 minutes 3 times. And I did 1 of them. My 5 minute power peak was 281W, while my avg over the 15 dropped to 245 because I took a few rests that killed my average. Blast it all. And then I was fried so I averaged 150W for the last half hour for an overall average of of 167W.

These Power Meters are unrelenting, ease up for just a little bit and they go blab you out.

Trainer Sprints

I did them. The trainer isn't great, but blasting some music through the IRiver helps. Today it was Chevelle, and while Chevelle may not be the most musically inspired band in the world, there aren't a lot of other bands that make me want to break things (like cranks, or windows, or legs[see, cycling is good for me, keeps me from breaking things!]).

I spent a few hours searching for and downloading drivers to get the PowerTap to link with my computer this afternoon. I also can't get it to read with Power Agent, so I have to DL the file in PowerTap Link (a very archaic power analyzing program), save it to the computer, then open it in Power Agent. It a hoop jumping game, but it takes all of 30 seconds and I get what I need. It's cool to look at the data and start seeing patterns.

As Promised

The lighting is pretty terrible, but this is what the new steed looks like. I'll take it out for its madien voyage in a few hours!

Andy Hatcher

This may well be the best picture, or dare I say photograph, I have ever taken.

Subject: William "Andy" Hatcher. Also known as "The Hatch". Also known as the (self-proclaimed) best looking male on the US Paracycling Team

Location: Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs

Time: Sept 2008. Paracycling Camp. Prior to the Road TT. Andy is cool as a Cucumber.

Anyways, I forgot about this picture, but I think it turned out great. I met Andy back in June at Para-nationals and saw him at camp in September. He's a great guy, and he is quite hilarious. Andy is a bit of a larger than life character and I think the picture really captures this part of him.

The Last Week

Wed on the trainer. *unimpressed Aaron is unimpressed*

Thursday: picked up Rich's PowerTap to borrow and spent 3 hours trying to get it working and didn't ride. *wags finger at self*

Friday: off. *boredom sets in after 2 days off* (I worked at a party hosted by my boss which I found to be entertaining)

Sat: 2.5 hours at Harbison on the MTB. I fell down an embankment. *falling and landing lower than your bike is unsettling*

Sun: 4 hours, 70 or so miles. I met up with Sammy and we rode through the fort and Hopkins for a while. *I done with this style commentary*

The problem with the PT was the wiring harness, it was faulty. Rich obtained another from Jay, so I will be training with power this week, thanks guys.

Something new is coming; I'll have pictures soon.

TT Intervals

I went out to the crit course for 4x12 and felt strong today. My pacing strategy was better than last time. Rich was out there as well doing his intervals. When he finished he sat on my wheel for one of my efforts so I'm looking forward to seeing the data through his PT.

Greenville Winter Bike League

With the threat of rain in both Columbia and Athens I decided to put the city and the rain behind me and head north. What follows was 93 miles of rolling terrain and a few hills with several dozen of my closest Greenville friends. I stayed towards the rear of the ride since it was my first time, and I just wanted to see what happened. The first sprint zone came around 35 miles in and it was FAST. It also lasted 4-5 miles with a couple of domestic pros chilling (or not) on the front. Another bit of riding and another 4-5 mile sprint zone. Things went totally bonkers around 84 miles in with the last sprint zone lasting 7, yes SEVEN miles. I got gaped out when the wheel I was following faded on a climb. I bridged and survived until we hit the 4 lane road and was in a group that got dropped with severe prejudice. I have to say that with that ride being my longest of the off-season by 20 miles that I did quite alright. The fitness gains I'll see from that are awesome. After the ride I was invited to grab some pizza at a downtown pub. I devoured 4 very large slices and enjoyed the company. Not only are the Greenville boys fast, they are very hospitable. The UWBL ride comes highly recommended by me.
After the pizza I drove out towards the foothills to visit Rick and Gail. Right as I was getting ready to leave Gail said that I should stay in town and do my Sunday ride in Greenville (sweet, actual climbing). While they went out for diner I vegged on the couch and watched the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon on DVR. It was a good race, and while I'm not a Triathlete, it is a sport I can appreciate.
After getting 10 hours of sleep (YES) I woke up to cold temps and headed out for 3 hours. I finished up with a trip over Paris Mountain and on the Furman side matched my PR from July with 12:30. I'm quite pleased to be riding this well in January knowing I could shatter that number if I was rested and the temperature was warmer. On top of that my coach has not had me remotely close to my top end and I will be considerably faster as the intensity picks up.
A big thank-you goes out to Rick and Gail for hosting me over-night with no notice! Y'all are awesome.

Flatlined

In an attempt to curb my dangerous habit of emotional roller coastering I am going to set way-high long term goals and large, but reasonable short term goals.
In real terms, I want to get into the Paracycling talent pool this year which means riding the B standard in one or more event(s), if training puts me hitting an 'A' standard my goal can be readjusted. Worlds, worlds can wait for 2010 when cycling doesn't compete with school for top honours in terms of time commitment. If I go this year it will be a bonus.

Being resonable should keep me closer to the mean on the emotional scale, which is where I prefer to be. Soaring highs and plunging lows wreak havoc on me.

sickness and long arms

After Saturday's MTB freeze fest (frozen pipes at the fountain meant I only had one water bottle, frozen mud meant my toes became very cold) I got sick so I didn't ride Sun, Mon, or Tue. Yesterday was drills at the crit course, and today was 3+ and about 50 miles on that TT bike that I still have lying around that is not mine. The problem with the bike lies in the crank arms. You see, Rick is a guy that is made up mostly of leg, so while he is no less than an inch taller than me he needs these massive 175mm cranks. Another issue is that the headtube is way too tall. I could probaly drop another 2 inches and be comfy. But the cranks, I never could turn them over last summer, and I still can't. I need to get the bike out of my posession so I quit trying to ride it only to get angry when it just doesnt work for my body. I did threshold intervals today.

I like working with a coach, it helps keep me accountable. It's funny, my race results should do that, but that's a topic for another entry I'm working on. I seem to be riding better with the consistent riding so it's working out well.

The Paracycling Performance Plan was released a few days ago. The A and B standards for the Road TT and Kilo were slightly relaxed while the Pursuit is a little more difficult. The US is only taking 6-8 men to Para-Worlds, so Nationals should be a hotly contested affair. We'll see how I stack up this year in July.

Secret Goals

Athletes are funny creatures. Most of us have very high expectations of ourselves but how and who we express our goals and expectations seems to vary based on natural ability and strengths. I read a Taylor Phinney interview where he said he wants to win a World Championship in the next 4 years and the Pursuit at the 2012 Olympics, and I didn't bat an eye when I read that. The kid is 18 and finished 7th in the Pursuit at the Olympics, his goals seem wholly realistic. A lot of elite sprinters seem to have a sort of brash confidence, but it seems like a necessary part of sprinting. They just come out and say they think they can win a stage or a race, but what about the rest of us?
When I was at the OTC we had nightly meetings and in our first meeting the athletes were asked what out goals were. Most of the goals were within reason, a bunch of people expressed a desire to qualify for Paracycling Worlds. The people that rode regular bicycles generally wanted to have some success in local and regional USAC races. Some people expressed a desire to ride faster time trials, and a few people talked about going to the London Paralympics in 2012. Overall every one's goals seemed reasonable, and I think that a lot of people were holding back, being cautious about what we said to not sound presumptuous or cocky. A lot of us were holding back.
The discussion of goals is funny, you have the reasonable ones. I want to win a road race, I want to upgrade to Cat3 this season. I want to be a 2 in the next few years, I want to go to Para Worlds this year, and I want to go to London in 2012. That's reasonable stuff. Then there are big goals, the kind that take years to achieve and are only mentioned to select people on rare occasion. In general they are extensions of reasonable goals. Then, you have the mack-daddy goals. These goals exist on the edge of the realm of possibility. They are never spoken about except in passing and usually as a joke, and I'm not sure that these goals exist in the mind of every athlete.
The athlete that does carry these goals views them as no joke (but would not let on about this), but as something that takes them away from the everyday grind of intervals and local group rides. It is something to think about as a you drift off to sleep, knowing that enough dedication might just get you there but it might not. It hangs in the balance of fantasy and reality making that time before sleep the perfect time to contemplate this goal/dream.
Maybe you are wondering if I am one of those people that has a goal hanging between fantasy and reality. Yes, I will admit to having about 2 of those at this point in time. You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to share what they are, though.

Rollers, Scary!

I had my first experience with rollers on Friday, I headed over to ride with Pat and we watched the 1992 Liege-Baston-Liege. Talk about vintage.
It took me 15 minutes of riding before I got my hand off the wall, but then I was good and spent 30 minutes spinning along. It was a unique experience and the amount of concentration needed was pretty high. I could spin along around 105 rpms pretty well but I wasn't smooth enough to get over 140.

2x20

I went out to the the crit course for some 20 minute intervals at "5% under Threshold HR". That's easier said. Rich was out there as well and asked to sit on and I proceeded to feel slow since I've seen his wattage numbers. It's one of those walk before you run things. edit: I looked at Rich's power file from sitting on my wheel and the speed was higher than on my computer. The power numbers showed that I was pushing too hard up the front stretch and too easy down the back.
So I went out a little hot the first go around (WHAT!? Aaron go out too hot? Never!) and averaged 175bpm, or about 97% of Threshold. With only 3 minutes of recovery I wasn't able to flush my legs and ended up stuck in the 160s for HR.
It's supposed to be COLD this weekend.

Valley of the Sun

So a friend of mine is trying to convince me to go out to Tempe Arizona for a 3 day race in mid-February called Valley of the Sun. Ordinarily the idea of going to Az for a Cat4 race would never even cross my mind, but this one is different. I am going to know people there so it would be a blast! So here is who I'll know.
Matt Bigos: Cat4 and Paralympic Cyclist. Matt and I would race together in the 4s and would be someone I'd look to get into a break with in the RR. Off the bike shenannigans are sure to abound.
Casey Gale: After abandoning us Columbians for a Pro Team in Texas, she will be at VOS. It would be great to see her again
Greta Neimanas: Racing Cat3 when she's not busy with Paralympics, Greta was insturmental in getting me involved with US Para and I haven't seen her since September.
Dave Swanson: Cat2 and tandem pilot for Paralympian Clark R. Dave is cool.

So it would be a fun weekend and Matt could hook me up with a bike, so all I need is a plane ticket? I need a benefactor.

Cerebral Palsy: A Little About My Disability

With my aspirations regarding Paralympic competition it is common and expected for me to field questions regarding my disability and how it affects me in and out of competition. I'm going to try to write about it here for anyone who wants to know more or feels uncomfortable asking me directly. I know that disabilities can be a sensitive issue for many and I will not hold it against you for being shy.

I have become progressively more open about about my disability for several reasons. First, I live with Cerebral Palsy every day, it is as much a part of my life as being 5'9" tall or having a 28" waist. Trying to hide it or ignore will not make it go away, but on the other hand I do not feel the need to broadcast to everyone that I have CP. It has helped shape my outlook on life but it is not the only factor that affects my life. Second, if people with disabilities treat their conditions as a normal, integral part of life then able-bodied people will be more likely to understand and accept disabilities. It will also expedite the medical understanding and treatment of disabilities. Tertiarily, I feel that as a person with Paralympic aspirations I have chosen to put my disability on display for all to see. I am going to be representing this country so it is my responsibility to let the people I am representing know why I have this opportunity.

What the heck is Cerebral Palsy (CP)? CP is a blanket term for a group of disabilities caused by brain damage. It usually occurs prior to birth, by complications during birth, or by trauma during infancy. CP is non-progressive and non-degenerative although the secondary effects can progress rapidly during adulthood. CP is classified by local and affect of the disability.

My disability is classified as Spastic Hemiplegia. Spastic meaning that the affected areas do not receive signals from the brain as quickly and the muscles in that area tend to be tight. Hemiplegia means I am only affected on one side, in my case that is my left limbs.

I arrived in the winter of 1986, I was born a healthy and perfect little boy (though my mother and ex-girlfriends may disagree with the perfect part). When I was 4 months old I became sick and was prescribed penicillin, this was to be the decision that would forever my life. I had a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic and became dangerously dehydrated. When I was seen in the ER it took 26 (yes, twenty six on a 4 month old) needle pricks to draw enough blood for testing. Then I had a stroke. A few years later I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, apparently I was displaying impaired motor functions such as dragging my left foot and an inability to pick things up with my left hand. I did physical therapy for a while, but I don't remember anything I've recounted to this point.

Fast forward to age 12 when I had my first surgery at the Shriners Hospital in Greenville, SC. I was fortunate enough to attend Church with a few men involved with the Shriners and they introduced me to the Shriners Hospital system. After countless trips to Greenville for initial overviews and pre-ops I had a muscle release and 2 tendon transfers in my left wrist. Then there were another set of countless trips for post-ops, rehab, and therapy. I gained a tremendous amount of functionality in my left hand after that operation. 4 years later I received a botox injection in my arm to relax the spastic muscles in the my arm. Intense therapy left me with even more use of my left hand. I'd like to pause now and thank my Mom for driving me on all of those countless trips to Greenville, I know it wasn't easy with the other kids and everything she had to do. And while I'm on a roll I have to thank the Shriners for fixing me at no cost to my family. You made my life better, and I mean that with the deepest sincerity.

That brings us to the present and how having Cerebral Palsy affects my life and athletic pursuits. My disability is more severe and noticeable in my left arm. There is a permanent bend in my elbow that does not allow me to extend it all the way, my left hand is smaller than my right hand and does not work as well. It is weaker and slower to respond to brain commands. I find that my fine motor control is more affected than gross motor control. In real life, I type with one hand and do a lot of other things with one hand. Picking things up can be awkward. On the bike I have all shifting duties handled on the right side. I use a bar-end shifter to control the front derailleur and I have rerouted the brake cables so my right hand controls the front brake where all the stopping power is.

My left leg is smaller than my right leg and is putting out a smaller amount of power than my right leg. I also have issues with ankle flexibility and leg suppleness. When you see me spinning out at 160+ RPMs it is the result of a lot of practice at high RPMs. Skills come hard and leave quickly with my left limbs, but I know that and train with that in mind. I also have issues with the cold increasing the spasticity of my muscles so I tend to ride slower and slightly less smooth in my pedal stroke when the mercury drops.

My Paralympic classification is CP4 which is the category for the least-disabled people affected by CP, stroke, and brain damage.

I think that is a pretty good summary of my disability, and if you have any questions feel free to post them in a comment or ask me in person.