So the first full week of training is in the books, and I’m into the second week. So I’m going to touch on results and what I’ve been up to.
The Program
So I’m using TrainerRoad to get my training done, and I’m building around the plan around a focus on the Tour de Tucson in November. I got a late start to training this year (as has been typical), so I’m in a base phase, but it’s also pushing me pretty hard — probably due in-part to my forced two-week layoff in mid-September (vacation).
Last week, I had five rides on the schedule, which was ambitious. I got on the trainer and bashed out the first four, which has been a significant change from the unstructured bullshit that I associate with Zwift. On the fifth ride day (Sunday), I had planned on a light mountain bike ride with Didi and the kids before doing the trainer ride that evening. As it turned out, my TSS score for the ride was only 2 points lower than what the training ride would have been (and 20 minutes shorter), so I opted to skip the trainer that evening. (I don’t know how that’s gonna play out in the longer run.)
I think the level of structure is going to be frustrating for me in the long run — I like it, but I also like the ability to go out and ride for fun sometimes.
Nutrition
I had already started to mix things up after my colonoscopy — more fiber, more water, and just better eating in-general. My energy levels are better, I recover faster after workouts, and as a result, I am already doing eight pounds since the beginning of June, putting me below 210 for the first time in 5 or 6 years.
As far as supplements go, I’m pretty basic:
- multivitamin
- apple cider vinegar tablets
- ceylon cinnamon tablets
- vitamin D supplement
- calcium/zinc/magnesium supplement
- fish oil capsule
My on-bike nutrition is being tinkered with, and I’d like to get it nailed-down before the Filthy 50 in mid-October. I think typical Gu packs will be a standard going forward, and using SportLegs tablets pre-race will be a thing. I need to work on the liquid portion of the nutrition so that I can find that optimal point of maximum benefits vs. minimal impact on my gastrointestinal tract.
Motivation
So far, so good. The weight drop and the dopamine/endorphin hits from the workouts has been pretty motivating. I’m a little vexed on how to track gym time on TrainerRoad and what the best solution is for that, as well as how to track cross-training exercises in the system.
I wouldn’t say I’m excited to jump on the trainer every day, but I will say that I’m pleased with having the mentality of “this is a marathon, not a sprint” in terms of my preparation to meet my goals. No more of this “race myself into shape” shit, which is always super demotivating when someone (or everyone) tears my fucking legs off.
The Future
I’m already thinking ahead to the offseason, I must admit. But not because I need a break. I’d like to come out of the offseason (so, like, April, because Minnesota) ready to tear some motherfuckers’ legs off.1 But I also need to balance that against not burning myself out.
There’s gonna be some changes to the trainer setup — more fans to keep me from overheating, for one. I’m also going to upgrade the Wahoo Kickr to a SRAM XDR driver, so I can use the gravel bike on it. Why? The geometry of the gravel bike is designed for multiple hours in the saddle, unlike my crit bike, which is good for about 45 minutes before I start getting uncomfortable.
I need to figure out my to-do list for next year, too — what races I want to focus on, so I can get the TrainerRoad app thinking about it, too. I suspect that I’ll take a “break” after the Tour de Tucson, and give myself about two weeks of relaxed recovery rides before I get back to the hard grind.
This is turning out to be fun again.