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Power File 3.31.10: 5 x 2.5s

Meh. Power for these 2.5 minute efforts wasn't off the charts by any stretch. But I got my HR up above my normal training range for each one, which is a little satisfying at least.

Perhaps the highlight of the ride was that I got to test the 2010 GamJams socks. They're a classic 3" cuff, so less pro than the 2009 offerings. But they're black, with some gray and a splash of white. I like the black socks with white shoes, and in truth as pro as white socks are I'm pretty tired of my embrocation staining the cuffs orange. These go on sale in the GamJams store when I get around to posting them.

Power File 3.20.10: Vint Hill Classic Cat 3/4 race

Tale of the tape (for the race portion of the file above):

20.08 miles
47:12 time
25.5 mph average speed
231 watts average
279 watts NP
.929 IF

What's cool about racing with the iBike is the white and blue graph in the center. White is how fast I'm going; blue is how fast the wind feels. So a white line at the top with blue trailing below it means that the effective wind is less than my speed, or I'm drafting. The longer the blue trail, the better a draft I'm getting. When there's a white line and no blue line, it means I've got my nose in the wind, but the wind isn't a factor - either it's calm or not a headwind. If the blue trail goes above the white line it means I've got my nose into a headwind, like from 48 to 49 minutes on the file.

My max power for the race was 1000 watts. It occurred on the 2nd lap. I was right on Joe Dombrowski's wheel (during the brief moment when he was still in the pack), fully expecting him to go any second. He did, and I just accelerated with him, from 23.8 to 32.8mph in 12 seconds. I remained seated, and I had to jump so hard just to stay on his wheel that my front wheel came off the ground, like a dragster.

He didn't get away that time but he jumped again about a lap later. I wasn't right behind him so had to come from the other side to get to him. My jump wasn't as hard this time (about 700 watts) because I didn't want to bridge to him - I wanted to bring the pack back to him. I know how Joe's been training and how I've been training - putting myself in a break with him early in the race wouldn't have exactly played to my strengths. So I ramped it and cruised up to him, expecting I'd string the pack out but still keep them in tow. Nope. One guy. We were clean away. Success disaster. We were flying (according to my file, I was averaging 29.5mph while in the break) and I knew I wouldn't hold it, so I dropped back after about a minute. As long as I was in the break my team wouldn't chase, so better for me to get out of it while Joe was still in sight. 

Alas, we didn't end up catching him. Neither did your team. But unlike your team, mine rocked some stylin AC/DC kits. (The team doesn't know how close they actually were to wearing these.)

What the hell are we wearing at Vint Hill, and what the hell were we thinking?

The GamJams/Pre-Reg.com p/b Cutaway Clothing kit (pictured at right) is not our actual team kit. That was an early draft, which went through considerable evolution, not the least of which was the inclusion of both Pre-Reg.com and Cutaway Clothing. It's also not red. The actual kit is awesome, but you won't see it at Vint Hill this weekend.

Why not? Our custom kit supplier - Primal Custom - hiccupped. Or hicced up. Or effed up. They got the kits in a few weeks ago right on schedule. But Scott, my guy at Primal, said they weren't quite right. "Awful" was his word. One of the fades didn't fade; a big watermark pattern was washed out; the side panel logos were upside down. It was an epic QC breakdown. Scott was horrified.

This stuff happens all the time. Mistakes are made. Customers are left wanting. Team members wonder if they have to race naked. In my experience, one of two things usually happens: 1) the vendor passes responsibility onto someone else, and/or 2) the vendor makes a reasonable effort to satisfy the customer.

Primal did neither. 1) they assumed full and immediate responsibility. Yeah it was a factory in China and it's hard to manage quality control from way over here, but that's the cost of doing business. They got that. It's refreshing to deal with a company that admits when it screwed up. They all screw up, of course. The admitting part is elusive.

And 2) Primal wasn't satisfied with making a mere "reasonable" effort to make us happy. They endured no small discomfort and inconvenience in the process. In fact, the CEO is in China right now and is hand carrying our replacement kits back next week. Sadly, that won't be in time for the Cat 3 Cup kickoff at Vint Hill. But Primal said that if we can't all wear our matching GamJams kits, we should at least wear matching kits. So they're hooking us up with some duds that rock for Saturday, and for that we salute them.

You know that teammate who offers to lead you out only if he thinks he doesn't have a chance for a good result himself, and then ends up 40 wheels back with 1 to go anyway? Primal ain't him. They're a good partner, and I'm happy to have found them.

Power File 3.10.10: 10s and :30s

3x10s at my Oaklyn stomping grounds. On the ride home I got my stochastic on and banged out some seated :30s (and a :30 shortened to a :15 by a traffic light). Accelerating hard from the saddle felt pretty unfamiliar. And by "unfamiliar" I mean "like ass."

Power File 3.8.10: 1s on Beach

It's a pretty simple workout. I ride to Beach Drive by the Mormon temple, which is about 8 minutes from my house. Continue to roll down Beach until I cross Connecticut. And then I go hard for 1-minute after Connecticut and every subsequent stop sign or light all the way down to the end of Beach; turn around, and hit them all coming back as well. 9 solid 1-minute efforts with a 30-second in there on the short stretch just after Connecticut coming back. What's nice is that the recovery varies in between them so there's a few where you're still pretty cooked from the last one.

The embrocation is still burning on my legs. So awesome to actually get outside, even for only 51 minutes.

51 minutes
NP 276 watts
IF .92
TSS 71.9

Not bad for a short outdoor ride. Toit little workout.

Power File 3.1.10: Mormon Hill Repeats

I added the slope and elevation to the view in this chart. From the bottom all the way to the top the average slope of Mormon Hill is about 5.5%. The steepest pitch is 13.2%. Ignore the HR at the beginning - it was a little screwy.

Yes, this means I rode outside.