State of play

So just a quick look at where I am at the moment. I'm about to head off to my secret overseas training camp (otherwise known as a holiday) weighing in at a whopping 125kg, deadlifting 220kg and hitting 1600+W on the trainer (though that was actually a month ago... haven't done an aboc spin since then! Whoops.) I think it's clear which of those numbers most needs to change, and in what direction!

I'm not sure if I'll post while I'm away or not - I'll probably mostly do general base work in the gym and on the road. See what the numbers are like in 6 weeks!

Pre-season

So the training has begun... kinda. I've done a few aboc spin sessions in my loungeroom, and even almost finished one! Otherwise I'm just trying to work more riding in amongst gym sessions, doing shorter recovery rides on days I don't lift, and gradually longer rides on other free days. It's still mostly gym work at the moment; otherwise, it's mostly a matter of building capacity slowly. I've no illusions about what my performance will be like come October - a quick look at the last couple of seasons of SSS suggests that I ought to be working towards doing well in C-Grade! And mostly, having fun.

Also, I've started shaving my legs again. Because I can.

Imma race again

Just you wait and see! Much fat to be lost between now and October though. But we'll get there...

So... ah... where've I been?

Well, funny you should ask, really, because I've not been anywhere. I have, though, moved house (again... the amount of crap I have is almost literally unbearable. I need to throw more stuff in the bin.) And... well, life has been, in many ways, shit. I mean, really. I thought last year was bad. So updating this... hasn't really been a priority!

I have still been training, though just in the gym, not on the bike. My poor, neglected track bike. I don't even have a racing licence - hopefully I'll be in a position to get one come 1 October. And do a bit of rolling around Brunswick before then (closer than BBN.)

In the gym, I'm up to a 180kg squat and a 210kg deadlift. Squat's paused momentarily due to a niggling knee injury, but that's cleared now so it'll be going up again. Deadlift is just shooting along nicely, and I see no particular reason it should stop any time soon. I won't bother setting targets, just that I'm aiming for 10kg every three weeks or so.

My programming at the moment is a variation on TM - though mostly I'm only getting to the gym twice a week, not three times. Volume Thursday, Intensity Monday. Light day, when I do it, on Saturday. Volume is 5x5 squats @ ~70% 1RM (just below 1RM*0.85*0.85) and 5x5 Deadlift @ ~62% 1RM (just below 1RM*0.8*0.8) though the precise figures vary. Typically you're not 'meant' to do so much deadlift volume, but I find it works for me. I've also started doing Pendlay rows on a 3x5 basis, around 70kg at the moment, and these I do on volume days. Bench and OHP alternate following much the same pattern.

Intensity days are programmed to be 1RM attempt in squats and deads, next week AMRAP (2-5) at previous 1RM, then AMRAP (2-3) at current 1RM, then new 1RM attempt. So, if I just set my 210 1RM, the next week would see me attempt 2-5reps at 200 (and, especially for deads, that would typically be singles, or possibly one or two doubles. Don't bother with sets of 5 anymore except for volume day) before attempting 2-3 the following week at 210. Then we're set for another 1RM attempt at 220! Squats are basically the same, except that the sets are more likely to be 2+ reps, and I've been off recently because of my knee.

So that's about where I am at the moment!

When in doubt...

... go up 5. At least, that was my theory when I discovered that I'd left my 1.25kg plates at home, and so wouldn't be able to do 137.5 in squats. So I did 140 instead. Came up just fine.

S: 3x5x140
P: 5x5x55
D: 1x5x155

You know, I think I'm going to target next Summer for racing. Not that that means I'm not going to race this year, or that I'm just going to whizz around having fun like in Round 1 (though I'm still aiming for the fun bit).

No, just that with how disrupted and, frankly, non-existent my training was over winter, I'm obviously way behind in fitness and weight. So why disrupt the (generally) good flow I have in the gym so as to taper and recover once a month? What will it actually gain me? In any given month I might be faster by a tenth or two tapering and so on, but cumulatively, I'll be stronger, lighter and faster come the end of the season if I just train through, making minor adjustments for the races.

The other thing, obviously, is that I still need to find a way to get to track training. But I don't think I'll be trying very hard over the next 6 weeks or so, with most of my spare time going to study and 'domestic' issues. Balancing priorities is not just for the fleet of foot.

So, where am I at then?

Well, two weeks and one day out from the first round of the sprint series, how am I sitting?

Interestingly enough, in the gym, very similarly to last year - which, as well as being interesting is rather sad. What a waste. 122.5 squat versus 130 last year, 62.5 bench versus 65 last year, 140 deadlift versus 155 last year, press 55 versus 55 last year, and powercleans 60 versus 75 last year. The main other difference is that this year those are all going up from having restarted low, whereas last year, most of those were reset, or just about to be.

Spin? Well, haven't been doing much of that. The only one I've done recently produced superior numbers to a similar session last year, but... not much to go on.

And I've still not been on the track, though I'll get out there this week. Maybe I might even have enough money to go to DISC if it's running next weekend, though I'm not sure what the point of that would be.

So I'll get out to Blackburn or Brunswick some time this coming week, do a few efforts, and try to get out at least one more time before the first round. And then, of course, however my strength/speed is, my tactical ability will have reduced from level 3 (out of 20) to level 1.

All I'm really hoping to get out of it is a reignition of the spark!

Some training

Right, internet has returned to my new life. Huzzah!

So I've been doing some training, in the gym and on the road bike. Not on the track. I still haven't ridden my track bike since February. But that will change shortly, with luck even before the 7th of October.

And the truth is I'm feeling okay. No, I'm not going to set the track sprinting world on fire, but when have I ever? It would have been good to be able to train, but life just hasn't been that way lately. I have a bit of time leading in to Round 1, then all Summer and then... onwards, I guess.

And you know what? I'm going to have fun doing it.

That is all.

No training

I know, you're shocked. And you have every right to be. But no, no training.

Okay, I've ridden my bike, and spun twice, but that's all. C-grade here I come! No. 6 weeks of training should get me back up to the bum-end of B-Grade, I'm sure. Yay.

Ah well. I've moved house and restarted my life, at least.

Comment

This is ridiculous! Blogger won't even allow me to comment anonymously (and no, it's not waiting to be approved...) and yet it'll allow me to log in to post. Bizarre.

Anyway, as far as coming back to the track is concerned, if it were possible to run the sessions for free, I'd be there already, but it's not, so I'm not! Lots of life stuff going on, but I'm moving house in a couple of weeks, so once that's done (and I've recovered from paying the bond!) I should be able to start back. Just in time to remember what a track bike is for Round 1 of the SSS...

Yawn

You may have noticed that I'm currently not terribly motivated to update the blog. What can I say, nothing interesting is really happening at the moment. I'm lifting, and have generally dropped back the weight a little because my form has been... not necessarily crappy, but inconsistent, and my back in particular has been fatiguing. But I'm lifting. I'm spinning occasionally too, though I'm hoping to be more consistent with that, too. And one day I'll even get back on my track bike and ride in circles. Might be more interesting then, though it'll probably take me a couple of months to get speed back up again. Otherwise... the most exciting thing is that on my commute this morning, I came across my second cyclist - last time I provided a wheel for someone, and recorded my best time between Eltham and Research. This time I sucked wheel, and recorded my new best time between Eltham and Research. And still I'm in 210/535th place on strava. Mind you, I'm 33/865 in the other direction. And 509/538 for the Main Road hill out of Research. Thrilling, no?

Just in case you were wondering...

... what I'm doing now in between these infrequent posts - today was at a client site in Research, spending the day breaking rocks (okay, clay) with a pick to build a path. In between riding there and back along Mount Pleasant and then Reynolds Road (if you've never been, think only this: 17%. For a couple of hundred metres. Twice, because the site was damn near in the middle.)

So I'm not being slack - though, admittedly, that wasn't a typical day. But I'm having to broaden my sprint-specialised training a bit. Swinging a pick once is easy. Swinging it (properly) a few hundred times - less so.

Frenzal Rhomb

That is to say, short, sharp and furious! I've never been that quick in the gym - 30 minutes from walking in to leaving! Just squats, otherwise I would have had to wait until Monday anyway since I had no time. 145kg workset, rather abbreviated rest, staring in to a mirror robbing me of a stable reference point for my eyes because the powercage was being used. But they did all get up, and that's the main thing. It was a little harder to keep the chest up in a good line, but otherwise the lack of rest and the mirror affected me surprisingly little. Stats just for the giggles: including warmups, that was 3330kg squatted in half an hour.

On other matters, I've been thinking about how I'm approaching my training and what I'm doing in life. With Round 5 of the SSS cancelled, and no other track stuff on the radar for a few months, where do I go from here? Life is rather full otherwise - work, study, commuting is a different focus (even if it's exercise rather than training), kung fu for a couple of months? It's all crowding in rather.

So in amongst all of this complexity, I've elected to stop the personal coaching with Carl. As it happens, I made that decision before he announced that his charges were going up, but that would have given pause as it was - not because it's unreasonable, but because, well, I have no money. Such is as it is. But the reason for the decision was that I have no time to fit in 'extra' training/exercise, little flexibility for rearranging other elements of my life, and Carl has little time for working with people who can't commit to training.

I'll still be doing most of the same stuff, and I'll still train with the aboc crew at DISC and so on (though I probably still won't be able to do spin. One never knows though!) I'm still aiming to work on my sprinting and my strength, and to do so in a structured way. How well will that work? Well, I guess you know where to find out if you're interested!

Analytical redux

I don't know that this really deserves its own post, but:

Pic of the finish of the first race against Craig is here. About a wheel rim. Important thing to note though - Craig has straight arms, and is back on the saddle. My arms are still a bit bent, and I'm over the bike. Which means? I lost it on the throw. Either incomplete, or slightly late.

Second race: And again. Though in this instance it was more like half a wheel it turns out, so not so relevant. Something that I need to practice more though, obviously!

Vic Masters 2011

A Numby's tale, or a discourse on the peregrinations of Jonas Tuck, Esquire (or is that eSquire? Or iSquire?) on the first day of Holy rest in the second month of the year 2012 after the passing of our Lord, the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Skipeth thee to the end if ye be of impatient temperament or if ye be on yonder Eastlink tollway and unable to pause for an hour.

I arrived at DISC feeling relatively confident despite how little time I've had on the track lately. My training hasn't been great, but I've still been working and hoped that I would at least be a chance at a bronze, or maybe even a silver if everything went really really well - that is, I qualified non-dead-last so I didn't have to race Neil, and managed to beat whoever else qualified 2-3. But my goal was basically simply to post a satisfactory time in the flying 200, and race as well as I could against whoever I ended up against.

After a bit of a roll around and a jump, I decided on 102" for the 200. Neil kindly offered to lend me his spare rear wheel, but I declined because, well, how much difference would it really make? And, again well, I don't really feel like I can justify using anything performance-enhancing, as it were. I'm just too far off my capacity. So anyway, I rolled off just after Nic Marc had set a 12.119 and thought: Hmm. He's gotten a lot faster! But maybe that's an indication that I can set a good time, too? So I wound it up, trying to keep the speed high without wearing myself out, and keeping focussed on what I needed to do. My jump was solid if not quite explosive, but I felt like I was carrying okay speed. I slipped low coming through turn 4 and very nearly went on to the duckboards. That may have cost me a tenth, perhaps, but generally my line felt fairly smooth. I crossed the finish, looked up... 13.04. Fuck. Okay, it's a PB, but Fuck. The rest of the times come through and in a field of four, I'm the slowest by 7 tenths of a second. 1.4 seconds slower than the Neil I'm going to have to race in the first round. Fuck.

So I was a bit despondent. I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to beat Neil, but at least since there were only 4 riders, I'd be in the bronze medal final. Still, I decided to be aggressive in my races against Neil, knowing that he wouldn't have to (and I'd be beaten by half a lap if he were) and my only chance to finish on the same straight was to catch him in the middle of a giggling fit. So the first race, he led, I sat behind by a few lengths, figuring I'd try the old accelerate in the saddle in to space and then get out of the saddle to pass trick. And, for a given definition of 'work', it worked - I got past him with 1.5 to go and stayed there for 3/4 of a lap. Then he passed me, probably still giggling, and won by 20 metres or so. Second race, I led, he took height, I let him have it while keeping the pace up-ish (but not really enough) then gave him a mini-hook coming in to turn three and dove for the lane. Second verse, same as the first, except this time I sat up more and he won by about 30 metres.

Nothing surprising in all that, but I was still feeling kinda low. But Nic put in an awesome effort to beat Craig Arnel (who qualified in 12.327) in three and I figured - well, this is where my race day restarts, effectively. So while trying to keep cool, I thought about how to race Craig, got some tips from Nic, and basically tried to get myself in a headspace to be able to win/come out of the day with some jewellery.

I drew the high spot for the first race in the best-of-three, and asked Carl to give me a hold. I'm not very used to starting held, and every time it's happened, each person has done it slightly differently. I was a bit nervy, focussed on what I was doing, and in the process managed to kick Carl in the knee while setting my pedals. He didn't come back to hold me for the next race, believe it or not. Anyway, I rolled off, deciding to stay on the bank while Craig went down on to the boards. We rolled around, pace not too fast, Craig trying to keep me on his hip and pushing me up. I saw a chance for an opening though, because he was too far forward, and coming around to turn three with just over a lap to go as we started up the incline through the turn, I let my speed wash ever so slightly, enough to open the gap behind him and allow me to dive for the lane. I pushed, then pushed again, then pushed again, and coming through turn 4 just before the final straight I pushed so far forward I came off the front of the saddle, losing a bit of power and momentum. I had no idea where Craig was - until about 20 metres from the line I felt/heard him on my outside, and 10 metres to go I could see him. I pushed again, threw for the line... but he came over the top of me, by about a wheel rim. Bugger.

So if I was going to come away with a bronze, it was going to be three races, and I was feeling pretty shattered, but in a way which almost made me feel more energetic, and I knew he was feeling much the same. So I tried to cool myself down, and thought about how I could ride the race from the front this time. I considered going up and down the bank, keep him guessing, but decided that that was a bit too risky. In the end I went with the plan of winding the pace up and up, keeping a close eye on him, not letting him jump off the bank (or at least not with height) and trying to hold him out of the lane. Which is how it went - except that down the front straight with a lap to go, he just managed to get far enough in front of me to drop in to the lane. I hesitated a moment - or, crucially, two moments - before running up the bank and down again to take a run at him. But because I'd left it slightly late, I didn't take enough height - mainly because it was the exit of turn 2 and there wasn't enough of it left. But I got the run, came round him in turn three, and tried to chase him down as he'd done me. And I pushed and I pushed and I huffed and I puffed... but I missed him. By about a wheel rim. Damn.

And, well, that was it. Back in the pits I could hardly walk properly; my quads were so sore/tired I couldn't lock my legs straight for a couple of minutes. Neil took out the gold over Nic, giving them a repeat Gold/Silver from the Kilo the day before. And I packed up and went home.

So what's left then? Well for the moment, Summer Sprint Series Round 4 next weekend. But otherwise? Well, a couple of things. Firstly, who am I? Not in a metaphysical sense, but simply - who am I riding with? I'm not really part of a team - I had to wear a plain black jersey yesterday, which at least (along with my bandana and generally piratish appearance) made me a favourite with Brendan, the commentator. But I don't have any aboc kit - partly because I didn't have any money when the order was done. I train (when I train) with them, I'm (nominally) coached by Carl, and generally I do the things they do (only slower.) But I don't really feel a part of the squad. And perhaps that's partly because I'm (nominally) a part of Team Splat! - at least, I wear the jersey. But I don't train with them. I don't get racing tips from them. Apart from the SSS rounds, when I normally sit with them (because I've been friends with them a while, they got me started and because I've usually got my daughter) I barely see them. I don't come down and race with them on Saturdays at Blackburn. So I'm kind of part of both teams/squads/groups/whatever, but not properly part of either.

Secondly, it's time to change my focus around again. For a period I was getting stronger, then I was losing weight, then I was getting stronger again. It's time to focus again on losing weight and just slowly increasing strength. In the gym, I'm as strong as (or stronger than) Neil. On the bike, I'm much slower. And I'm roughly 15-17kg heavier. Now, it's not exactly a direct correspondence, certainly, and you could argue that he's relatively stronger (because he's lighter, and a bit taller) but I'm not proposing a scientific study. Simply noting that the gains to be made, at least on the bike, by getting stronger at this point are vanishingly small compared to the gains to be made by losing weight, even if I happen to get a bit weaker (though I don't intend for that to happen.)

In summary, for those of you who have skipped down from the top: I very slowly sucked big fat donkey balls.

Well well well...

I wasn't going to bother posting, but decided that I might as well - just had a quick spin session today, nothing too exciting (it may be apparent that I'm far over posting about spin sessions) though I hit over 80km/hr twice, which is fun at least. No, really it's just a note that it's a smidgen over a week until the Vic Masters, and I've entered the sprint. So that should be fun. Neil and Nic, who are both Masters 1 also, have entered, so there are at least three of us there - there are another couple of 'elite' riders who I don't really know, and everyone else (so far) is in Masters 2 and above. Neil I know I can't beat in a straight-out race at least 99 times out of 100, so it would take a freak to beat him if we race, and Nic I haven't beaten outside of training as yet, though it's been close. Both are doing the Kilo the day before, though I doubt that will be enough to give me a sufficient edge in itself!

Hmm. Just looked up the other rider currently registered for the sprint who's not >MMAS2 - Brett Rollinson. Turns out he's a bit of a star! And a Masters 1 rider - or at least, he was last year. Rode a 12.224 qualifier at the Country Track champs in November, and went on to win Gold. He's also done all sorts of enduro stuff to great acclaim. So. Given that I'll be happy to break 13s for the 200 (though I'm aiming, perhaps wildly optimistically, for something closer to 12.5) perhaps I need to make sure that I approach this with the right attitude! Not, mind you, that I'm just there for the experience (though I am) let alone make up numbers, but that I'm going to have to race smart and push to my utmost to garner a result, 'cause wishin' and hopin' ain't gunna get me nowhere!

Oh, and I don't know what to wear - anyone know if my Team Splat! jersey would be okay? Given that CA couldn't confirm for me if a Masters licence (as opposed to an Elite licence) would even allow me to race in the Vic Masters, and their website info is confusing (and sometimes contradictory!) I feel like I should take three different jerseys, including a commuter yellow one, just in case...

Samson?

No gym today. Today rest day, so have tooth pulled out instead. I BLAME COACH.

Bleugh

Now I sick. Maybe why I feel crap yesterday. I blame Coach. Just because. Hope be better Sunday.

Tapering

Me no like coach. Coach say to me, he say "You no go gym. You taper."
I say "..."
I say "But me have to go gym or I turn in to boy-man squat 27.5kg 5RM!"
Coach say "You go gym, you get DOMS, you not recover, you ride bad. You no go gym."
I say "But how I taper from nothing?"
He say "You not get stronger, you not get faster. You rest."
I say "..."
I say "Yes Coach."
I rest. I rest more than even coach tell me to. I ride today, sprint, and feel crap. I blame coach.
I ride sub-13 on Sunday or Coach, he in big trouble.

Lifestyle Periodisation

It's what happens when life just says: "Look, mate, you're just not going to train this week. Remember on Monday, when you had a couple of hours but were still recovering from Sunday? And Wednesday, when you felt guilty about 'wasting' time at the gym when the house was still a mess? Well, guess what? That was all the time you had this week, my friend."

I did one 20km ride on Tuesday, home from school dropoff, in which I at least included a few hill sprints and one 'flying 200', as it were. And now my daughter's sick and I can't even take time away from her (except now, at 9pm - I'm sure I would jump on the trainer now if I wanted it bad enough, even though I got 2 hours sleep last night) to do 45 minutes because she's so miserable.

Next week, theoretically, would be a taper for SSS Round 2. But I'm not sure it's possible to taper down from a week of nothing. So here's the plan. Fri: 1/2 Spin. Sat: Spin. Sun: DISC. Mon: Gym. Tues: Recovery. Wed: Spin. Thurs: 20km road ride. Fri: Recovery. Sat: 'Sharpen'. Sun: Race.

World Track Masters

In other events, David Willmott was unable to defend his title in the men’s 55-59 sprint, taking the silver medal after being defeated by Gil Hatton of the United States in the final.
Wilmott had breezed through the afternoon qualifying, posting the second fastest flying 200 time of 11.558 behind Richard Voss of the USA who set an unofficial new world best time of 11.458 seconds. -CA

11.458 seconds for the flying 200 in the 55-59 year old age group at the World Track Masters. Jeebus! I'd better get training...