Transition

After about 2 years the Klein finally got a little bit of affection today. It still has to look after me for the transition between winter and dry roads and I'm looking forward to it feeling a bit more elegant for a few days at least! But, wow, it's incredible how quickly brakes wear down in these conditions; I'm already on metal-on-metal again. At the back. The front brakes don't even make it to the rims....

There will be tulips there soon!

But of course just when I was looking forward to some dry roads (even saw some cyclists on racers on Ingarö today :-)), it's obviously not quite over yet.

Try and work out what I was dancing.

This is confusing. I think I'll just take the easy option and end up on the Monark again tomorrow :-)

/Toni

Testing

Used my normal riding to work time this morning to ride on the Monark at home instead. I wanted to test some of the things I will need to do for the study soon: an all out 20 minutes and 8-minute intervals. The former will be a max test, the latter is what we will be training for six weeks (3x8). I did 20 and 2x8, all around about my threshold (290 W) with my pulse hovering around 90-92% max. It was bloody awful.

But afterwards felt pretty satisfied and completely wonderful :-) especially with my standard apres Monark treats: an espresso made in a traditional Italian cooking thing (good for digestion and livens you up), a little can of chili (digestion) and olive oil (fat) tuna (protein) brought back from Australia and water (water). I'm no nutrition expert and am only making all this up, but I do enjoy this as a treat. The thought of it keeps me going the last about 95% of each training session.

Yum!

Oh, by the way, if you try to ride to work on a Monark you don't get anywhere. When I realised I was stuck at home I realised I had to work there too. It was great, not only seriously productive, but also managed to conjure up a special lunch treat.

Carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, protein, pepper.

And a good day was had by all :-)

/Toni

Max.


I've been a bit sceptical to this, especially with a bit of a cold lately, but decided to test if I had a "high enough capacity" to be part of a training research project at work. So early this morning I turned up at GIH and met Daniele who has this as part of his PhD project.
Without further ado I was on the Monark and doing first a submaximal VO2 test and then a VO2max test. One of the scientific questions being how well these two correlate in well trained athletes. I was hoping Daniele would let me in the room anyway...


But it went OK. I did a maxtest with a VO2 of 4.76 l/min (a small peak over 5, but apparently that doesn't count :-)) which, for someone as big as me ends up being a humble 56.3 ml/kg/min. Daniele was happy enough and even though I was in the lowest range of accepted subjects I am allowed to join in all the invasive fun the next few weeks :-)


And I'm happy that I may have a new parameter that I'm going to be World Champion at: W/(l/min), try and work that one out :-) I ended up finishing after 30 s on 440 W.

It wasn't all this much fun :-). This was warming down wondering what had happened to my legs.

Looking forward to a month or two with Daniele. I think...

/Toni

Winter weekend

Got excited already on Friday night that I could finally start a routine for what's left of this winter with Monark training on weekend mornings. Up tired but motivated early on Saturday and pulled off my first 4x4 intervals of the year. A bit cautious with no massive Watts, and a pulse of 98% max despite this, indicated that this was a good tactic. I'm pretending it's due to a couple of week's sickness and not general crap form. Until I get proof of the opposite...

My Monark routine promptly got rudely disturbed by a fun, pretty late  Saturday night with good friends. But a magic winter Sunday, fantastic ice and me being restless resulted in a 20 km iceskate around Drevviken in the afternoon. Love it! But can't wait to report on all the newly discovered muscles that can be sore the next few days :-)

Snotty, sweaty, happy. Post skate.

I can't tire of the scenery on Drevviken.

I think I'm worth a beer in a hot bath now :-)

/Toni

Grinning

What better way to start a day at work than sitting by the computer with a silly grin over my face? The first ride for about 10 days on which my legs have been allowed to work a bit without my heart complaining by sending the pulse into orbit. A few minutes love and attention on the Klein also meant I had brakes that worked and a mudguard that didn't shake and rattle. And the sun even rises before I get to work.

The fact that Stockholm isn't the ugliest city in the World to have to ride through twice a day also helps!

Sunrise over Nybroviken.

Some mornings just start better than others.

Grin :-)

/Toni

Reincarnation

I have been hopeless at writing, but do not despair, I am chirpy and well! Increased loads at work have meant that sometimes training has had to be deprioritised and writing here has always been even more deprioritised. Not an optimal situation but I'll deal with it. I am a little bit worried about my possibilities of being in the amazing form required for our sub-7 hours Vätternrundan plan, but will see how well I train the next few weeks before making a decision concerning participation. I really want that ride as a perfect leadup into the Paris-Brest-Paris summer...

I have been in Australia on a fantastic holiday with my family for 5 weeks with reasonable training, but most importantly I can tick off a 200 km brevet to get my account going for qualification for PBP this year! It was hot and as usual in those conditions I had troubles with cramp. I rode the whole ride solo, but thoroughly enjoyed it anyway. Especially the stop at Robertson's pie shop on the way back!

On my way to Tallowa Dam through hot Australian bush in the Kangaroo Valley.

 

The afterbike may have been a bit lonely compared to Lilla Barkarby, but a cold beer on Bulli beach wasn't too bad either.

Now back in Sweden the Monark has far too long been sulking in the corner, but finally got dragged out today for an hour's fun and games. After a bit of a cold the last week my pulse just shot through the sky, but it was nice to spin the legs anyway.

I then went for a run, mainly on Drevviken, the lake by our house, and that was just magic!

A slight change of scenery - but equally spectacular! Running past Badudden on Drevviken.

Have finished off with some core and arm work at home and feel like I've deserved a beer and a sauna now.

I'm back :-)

/Toni