SSS Round 1, 2015-16

So! Back to racing once again. The short version of the race report - geez, I had fun! Slightly longer version?

I've written a little about my 'preparation' below, but to expand a little - I really had only the bare minimum to ensure I could be safe. I didn't even change the gear I had on (which was ~92) in part because I didn't search to try to find any other rear cogs, but also because... well, I'd established that everything was mechanically okay, and didn't want to do anything to upset that going in to the race. And whatever gear I was on, I'd just be riding around anyway, essentially.

Flying 200, wouldn't say I went 100%, but gave it a pretty good effort. Got a little out of shape going in to turn 3 again, which saw me run a little wide out of turn 4. Ended up with a 14.308, which was marginally faster than I thought I might get, even given the running wide. I looked up all my previous F200 times at SSS, and found the following:

2010/11:

15.289 (tiny pretend bike)

14.308 (borrowed bike)

2011/12:

14.185 (92")

13.567 (?)

13.809 (?)

13.935 (?)

2012/13:

14.113 (86")

13.515 (102")

14.087 (95")

2015/16:

14.308 (92")

I could probably just did cross-reference with blog posts to find out what gears I rode for as many of those as I have info for. Not entirely sure why I didn't record those three in 11/12 - was I worried about giving important information away? I am for laughing! Anyway, clearly I should always ride 102" when there's a northerly, and maybe 98" when there's a southerly. Either that or there's woefully insufficient data from which to draw any useful conclusions, one of the two.

Anyway, that time put me 3rd fastest in C-Grade, slated to ride against the two fastest qualifiers and one below me, so looked like a potentially tough day! As it happened the third heat was cancelled due to a spectacular but ultimately non serious-injury-causing crash in B-Grade which held up proceedings for quite some time.

My first race against a chap named Blake I lead out, and allowed him to get behind me. I wasn't too too concerned about that even if it wasn't ideal - I felt I could keep a fairly good eye on him. And I did, right up until just before the point where I knew he would jump. I hadn't wound up the speed quite enough though, and instead of jumping where I knew he would (and he did, without my even looking) I instead basically started pushing the pace higher (coming in to turn one of the last lap) and didn't jump hard. He got 5 metres or so and that's about how it stayed. Proof positive is in the power file - a peak of only 1127W and an average from jump to line of ~850W for the 15 seconds or so.

Second race was against a junior by name of Jonathan who'd qualified some 0.8s slower than me. I was leading again, and my plan for this was pretty simple - pace high enough (mid-high 30s, nothing extravagant) to nullify his jump without actually going long myself (because fitness) take a decent jump and just burn him off. And that's how it went - again I wasn't bothered letting him in behind me, kept the pace up and jumped through turn one again - but this time not having taken my eye off him until I accelerated. I more or less just held a gentle acceleration up the back straight and, knowing he wasn't with me, started easing up through turn three and basically coasted up the final straight. Peak of 1340W on the jump, and held ~900W for the 10-11 seconds of the actual effort.

Given my qualifying time that was enough to put me in to the 3v4 final, against a chap named William who'd qualified about a tenth slower than me. I was following this time, and went in with no very specific plan except to try to push the pace up if he didn't keep it there himself - preferably without taking the lead myself this time. It wasn't as fast as the last race, but I wasn't as concerned about his ability to jump away from me so I was comfortable as it was. I had quite a bit of height and space coming out of turn 4 and considered going there with a little over a lap to go, but didn't feel any particular desire to do so and, being right beside him, felt I had him sufficiently covered if he went at the line. He didn't though, and crossing the line with a lap to go pushed the pace more, staying high while he was a little below the blue, and we went at basically the same time in the middle of turn 1. He had about two lengths on me but I had much more speed, coming out from behind him approaching turn 3 and passing him by the start of turn 4, dropping in to the lane on the straight and winning comfortably (practising my throw anyway, at entirely the wrong spot!) Hit 1659W on that one and a top speed of ~54km/hr (based on cadence - garmin didn't want to pick up the speed sensor for some reason, and GPS speed is useless on a velo) and an average of ~980W for the 15 seconds. Which is, you'll agree, quite a significant difference to the first race!

So nothing grand, but 3rd place in C and some useful reminders of what racing is was handy. Mostly though it was just lots of fun, reminding me why I liked to do this in the first place. So roll on round 2!

Return to racing - one week out!

I went to start a post a week ago, and then I completely forgot... anyway, just one more week to the first round of the Summer Sprint Series, and I'm all set to go!

Well, I have my licence. I've got the one cog which was on my bike all these years - the others are, presumably, in a box somewhere. If I can't find them I guess I'm racing on... whatever gear is on there, I haven't actually checked. So... I'm kinda set to go. I've ridden my track bike twice, and even did a flying 200 or 2:

There's a keirin series starting this week at Blackburn, which'd be good, but I'm not ready for that yet - haven't done enough work to be sufficiently confident in my skills with more than one person on the track yet. Don't want to potentially be a danger to others.

I'm not going to be particularly fast. I'm waaaay overweight. But I anticipate that it'll be fun, and that's plenty for me!

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!

Front!

Whatever. So, it appears I've been a bit distracted lately - what else is new? I think there's been a workout or two in there, and a bit of riding, but nothing very interesting. Off to the gym today for... as much as I could manage, really, mixing in some heavy attempts (note: not successful ones) and a bit of fairly light volume. Exercising, basically, rather than training.

I'm considering entering a powerlifting meet or two for a bit of structure, and to ensure I train rather than exercise. Not that I'd be competitive, but it'd be a lark. I'd have to pay for memberships and silly singlets though, so possibly not. We'll see. And then I'll turn back in to a bike rider again (presumably magically, I haven't worked out the details.)

S: 1x1x160, 1x1x185 (failed), 3x5x120
P: 5x5x50, 1x1x60 (failed)
D: 1x2x140, 1x1x180 (failed), 3x5x120

Back!

Okay, so couldn't get to the gym on Monday. But did today!

First though, a quick note - someone made the hills steeper. All of them. I did not appreciate this. Also, I need to rebuild my bike. Haven't even lubed the chain for mo... never mind. I got some SRAM red brifters off ebay, so I can strip my bike, put the 'borrowed' bits back on Melanie's bike, and clean, lube, grease, rebuild rear wheel... all that sort of stuff. In a minute. When I have time.

Anyway, back in the gym, and did a 'light' session to regrease my own wheels before going back in a couple of days for a volume session, then heavy again on Monday.

And then I realised that I thought today was Tuesday, and I'd do volume on Thursday. But it's Wednesday. And I can't get to the gym on Friday.

Stay tuned for whinging tomorrow about doing volume the day after even a 'light' session. Mental toughness. Or something.

S: 2x5x110
P: 3x5x45
D: 2x5x120

Dipthong

6 days of full-day seminaring coming up, so probably no gym until next Monday. Hoped to go out with a bang today, lots of volume, but it was just too hot. And smoky from nearby grassfire!

S: 5x5x140
P: 3x5x55, 1x4x55, 1x3x55
B: 1x1x75 (Was supposed to be 5x5, but... nup. Too tired and slippy bar from prodigious sweating.)
D: 1x5x120

Planning on riding most of the week except tomorrow, but not going to bother talking about that unless something particularly interesting happens.

Atonement

What better way to atone for a crappy session, than with 1RMs? There is none, absolutely correct!

So squats I was aiming for 180 - a 15kg PR. Well, actually, I amended that to 182.5, just because that would officially get me over the 400lb mark, for precisely as much as that matters!

So I worked my way up, singles at 140, 160, 170 before attempting 182.5kg. First attempt I rose maybe three inches out of the hole. Second attempt...

Better, if not exactly pretty. But I felt sure I could lift the weight, just had to control and stabilise. Not exactly minor issues, but I wasn't going to give in. But I took the 1.25kg plates off the end - even if just for the mental feeling that it was that tiny bit lighter (all of 1.4%!) and went at it again:

Again, not entirely pretty. But by Gads it went up, and produced a happy chappy at the end!

Bench... meh. 90kg again, felt heavy. Have to nail down my technique. Who cares, they're only chesticles!

Deadlift... goal here was 200kg, a 20kg PR. I'm nothing if not ambitious. Coming in to my final 'warmup' at 160kg, I thought 'unrealistic' as well. Went for double overhand, no chalk, no belt, and could hardly move it. Of course I'd had no rest, either. Switched to hook, got it above the knees but lost the grip. Ah well, continue on!

The next obvious step was to skip straight to my previous 1RM of 180kg. Belted up, chalked etc. got set... and it went up really fairly easily! I wasn't shocked - only 10kg more than my 5RM of a week ago. Still, it was pleasant.

So 190kg was the next cab to depart from the rank, only the first time, it didn't depart! Got it about an inch off the ground, just wouldn't come. I realised as I stood back up that I hadn't really done a valsalva - just a general sort of tightening. So I reapplied some chalk, got myself set, and ripped it up - felt damn good, nice speed, and locked it out solidly. Grip slipped a little on the left hand as I started setting it back down, and tore a little hole, a tiny speck of blood. I had been intending to leave it at that, partly because I was running a bit late, but the lure of 200kg was just too strong!

So I whacked a couple of 'half' plates to go with the 4 plates on each end, and took a quick breather. In the end, perhaps slightly too quick - but I couldn't hang around too long. I grabbed the bar, set myself, big breath, and pulled - damn solid. Sliding up the legs. Barely felt heavy (this may be a lie.) But then as I passed the knees, my left hand began to slip. I kept pulling... closer, closer... an inch or so from the top, just about to lock the knees out, and my left hand started giving way, and I had to take it back down so as not to completely drop it from the top (no bumpers, no platform!) Damnit! So close to a 200kg pull, but not quite any cigars on offer for this chappy. Just a ragged hole on my left thumb where the knurling had chewed away a bit of flesh as the bar slipped.

I wish I had video, but I someone was in the rack so I had to go elsewhere to dead, and there were no convenient camera-propping locations.

Still, quite pleased with the session - a total of 460kg - over 1000lb -  and a bit of work on my bench would bring that to 500kg pretty easily. And there's still a ways to go on my squat and dead, without question.

And we won't mention my lack of racing at SSS R5. I'll be back! Much stronger, hopefully leaner, and with some of my bike-handling skills returned...

Tawdry volume

Sometimes you go to the gym and it doesn't work. Don't even really have any worksets to mention! Just didn't happen. Oh well.

Grass

Took the camera to the gym today to video my squats and deads. Sadly the memory card ran out of space before I actually got to the deads (though it faithfully recorded for a minute and a half while I walked back to the rack, put the belt on, chalked up and so on.) Aside from general form, I wanted to recalibrate my depth perception; I felt sure that I was getting down below parallel, but it's sensible to check every now and then when you don't have a coach to keep an eye on such things.

Yeah, I reckon I about managed to get down below parallel there.

Good session except for bench - I even asked for a spot so that I could push for the second at 90kg - and needed the spotter. Bit annoying, that. Perhaps a legacy of the fact that my coach never really focussed on bench and I've not hit upon better form since? Or perhaps just not my strongest point and I've never really focussed on it either. It's getting to the point though where it's almost an imbalance, and imbalances are bad, mkay?

S: 1x5x157.5
B: 1x1x90
D: 1x4x170, 1x1x170 (Did 5 reps, but just missed locking out the 5th, so paused, re-chalked, and did an extra rep and held it at the top for a few seconds.)

11 Tonnes

There's a reason they call this 'volume' day. Especially when you do more than you're supposed to do...

Squats at 137.5... hmm. They didn't feel too heavy, but my form wasn't quite dialled in. Again, it took until the third set or so before they really got in there. I think it's a matter of mental focus and engagement, rather than actual motor patterning, because I only do one set on 'heavy' day and I've been finding that usually, I can find the right form straight off - or at least, closer to it. I shouldn't need to go at it with full beast mode engaged at 88% of my 5RM. And to do so would be counter-productive; I'd probably burn out before rep 25. But clearly I need better focus.

Bench at 75... again, felt harder than they 'should' have, 83% of my 1RM. But bench is something that I've never perfected, form-wise, and I'm still working on it. So I'm not concerned, and I got through them. And of course it's the presses that I tend to skimp on volume-wise, because I haven't been doing the light day often enough. So hopefully improvement will continue...

Deads again, trying to get more volume in, partly for the mus-cles, mostly for form. It does feel like it's working, getting better at keeping my back flat and dragging the bar up the legs; not getting the shoulders too far in front is the main facet of that work.

And then I decided to do some rack pulls as a bit of grip work, since I feel that that's been lacking a bit lately, too. I couldn't quite remember how you were meant to do them, and started them too high, above the knees. The ROM was probably about right, but the starting position was quite poor. So I'll give these a bit more thought, investigate other ways of working on it. Needs to be something a bit more 'accessory'-ish, since 64% of 1RM for 25 reps is not going to do the job!

S: 5x5x137.5
B: 5x5x75
D: 5x5x115
Rack Pulls: 1x1x200

Got 'em (mostly)

Squats felt lovely, what can I say. Just hit that groove and went back up smooth as you like. Press... well, couldn't manage the second at 65kg. Not really doing the whole hip wiggle thingy that Rip reckons you should do, more just a straight military press with a bit of layback. Maybe I should give it more of a go. Deads... well, I got them up. One at a time. If this were still SS, that would count as a 'fail', but perhaps that's the way I'm headed for intensity day now, 5 singles rather than a set of 5. I'll aim still for 5 next time, but better to keep increasing the weight so long as I can get them than insisting upon sub-30 second breaks between each rep...

S: 1x5x155
P: 1x1x65
D: 5x1x167.5

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Nothing very exciting today. Just a 'light' session, but it was good to actually get to the gym to do such a thing. It's easy for these to feel pointless, but it's a good way of working out any stiffness after volume day, and it's imperative for actually progressing my presses I suspect.

S: 2x5x115
B: 3x5x60
PC: 5x3x60
P: 1x1x60
BE: 3x10
CU: 1x2

Widdowed

I'd say I'll start wearing black to commemorate the occasion, but I pretty much always do anyway...

So after a lazy ride with my daughter to a friend's house (and a not-so-lazy ride back) it was off to the gym for some volume - rearranging days in anticipation of the change in schedule required for school.

This time I managed 5 sets at 135kg, so I was happy with that. I really noticed today the difference in good form, and in just dropping down. When I didn't make enough of an effort to really push my hips back, I'd end up in basically a high-bar position, with no hip-drive. When I did... well, it was much easier and smoother. Something to really keep in mind, because when it gets heavy on intensity day, the temptation is to just go straight down...

So I was so excited about that I decided to give a 'widowmaker' a go - 20 reps at, in this case, a bit over half bodyweight (60kgs). I'm... glad, in a way, that I did it straight after my 5th set, only resting long enough to reset the weight. Form felt good, and I only paused for 5-10sec in between reps... 3 times. But I could hardly feel my legs, which made it easier to do. Not that they would have hurt that much, I don't think - it's only 60kg after all. But because I started off not being able to feel my legs, I didn't get the mental hit of starting to not be able to feel my legs come rep 12 or so.

Anyway, done. Was kinda fun. Even if it meant that when I got to cleans, my legs said: No. You want to do cleans, you're going to have to reverse-curl those suckers up. So... I didn't.

S: 5x5x135, 1x20x60
P: 5x5x50
PC: 1x3x70 (Last warmup)

Kinglake

Wait, what? What was I thinking?? Or not thinking. Anyway, I rode up Kinglake. I know, for the average cyclist, nothing special. Perhaps something you'd do on a lark to wile away a lazy 15 minutes. But I've not ridden up any sort of mountain for... oh, a couple of years, probably. Steep hills, yes, but not kilometres-long constant climbs. And... well, I'm 114kg of non-slow-twitch fibres. My time fell in the 4th Strava percentile. I'm sure it's good for me, or something. Except perhaps my right quad, just above the knee - the vastus medialis, to be more precise. Bit sore, needed ice. But I'll live.

Oh, and I picked up a chin-up bar - the kind that hangs on your doorway. Seems okay so far. And, well, so long as it breaks in preference to breaking the house, however long it lasts will be good - only cost me $2.25!

Almost...

A day of... not quite. But in a good way.

TM Intensity, trying to get back just to expressing the strength that I have, in preparation for actually increasing it. Couldn't find my 1.25kg plates, so squat and deadlift were 2.5kg higher than planned. Got 4 reps on the squat, but the 4th was so ugly it didn't feel safe to do a 5th, so reracked. On to bench, worked up to 90, hoping for a double, but could just manage the one - and that, rather ugly and uneven. So forward to deads, and made it through, though it was a set of 3 and two singles, rather than a set of 5. No problems. In a run of good workouts, this would be disappointing; as a culmination of working back to where I should have been if I'd not been sick/injured/overly Christmassed, I'm happy with that, sets the stage for a good week.

S: 1x5x155
B: 1x1x90
DL: 1x3x165, 2x1x165

Back in the gym. Regularly. No, really. Stop laughing!

Was determined to get in a good workout today, without going too far given how ratty my lifting was over Christmas/New Years. Felt pretty good in the end.

S: 1x2x150, 3x5x135, 2x6x120
B: 5x5x70
DL: 1x5x120

Double felt fairly good - a bit of a struggle, but not excessively so, and form, while not perfect of course, was fairly solid. Aimed to do 5x5x135, but after the first 3 sets I'd run out of endurance in the sets, and the last couple of reps were not so good. So decided to drop back to 120 to preserve the form, upping the reps slightly to preserve the volume. Bench felt okay, though bar path was a bit wonky. Not surprising, and strength-wise it was okay.

Deadlift I was planning on doing 3x5 at whatever weight I could manage, but the volume got to me in the end. Even at just 120, with a hook grip, I couldn't hold on to the bar solidly. It was slipping as I got up past the knees, so I locked out each rep with the bar in my fingertips. Which wasn't a problem, but it was a clear sign that I'd had enough for the day. Which is probably good really, in giving me something to grease the groove without wearing me out, leaving something for Friday.

Power Capacity?

No, sorry, don't have any of that! Something made me think that doing this might be a good idea. Getting only about halfway through... confirmed that. No surprises that I couldn't go any further in my third race last weekend, eh? Ah well. Onwards and upwards. Perhaps one spin a week will be enough for the moment until we get towards training for next season. We'll see!

Max RPM (39x23): 188
Max speed (39x12): 59.7km/hr

Oh, and thanks Kev - I've given up wondering why I can post blog entries, comment on the blogs of others, but not comment on my own, even anonymously!