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

Randonneur dreaming

What better deviation from dark, cold, dreary November cycling than to have an autumn meeting with our newly formed club Stockholm Randonneurs !? 42 randonneurs turned up for a night out at Lilla Barkarby and really showed that this club is thriving.

We were fed information about 2015's brevet series and especially Paris Brest Paris, which got everyone excited. It was great seeing pictures and films from sunny, long rides from 2014 and talking rubbish about different rides we had done together.

Of course the night included a beer or two. But not quite the same quantity we are used to from KBCK meetings :-)

Bengt also gave everyone the brevet cards and medals accumulated throughout the year. I never order medals so didn't expect anything, but having done a complete series (200, 300, 400 and 600 km) in 2014 (as in the last 6 -7 years in a row), I did get a super randonneur medal, which was nice. He also had a whole stack of cards for me which looks impressive, but is actually from a few years in a row :-)

7600 km in a pile of cards.

Can't wait for some new cards in 2015! Thanks everyone for a really interesting and fun night and especially Hanna for great food and drinks as usual!

/Toni

CTT initiation 2014

Mats "Pilen" Pihlström and Erik Vrang invited everyone from the Continental Test Team for a sociable, get to know eachother 90 km ride today as an initiation for our goal of Vätternrundan 2015, 300 km in under 7 hours. I really want to give this a good chance next year so thought it would be good to already be part of it today! It was pretty exciting already in the morning putting on old Conti clothes and for the first time in ages thinking about what sponsors may want.

Nice shirt mate!

 

Of course this was pretty pointless because it was far too cold, so I covered everything in long pants and a KBCK jacket :-) Those that were there today really should remember this ride: I'm sure it will be the most chatty, easiest ride of our whole campaign! Actually, if anything I would have maybe preferred a slightly faster pace, seeing I took away half a day from the family. But it really was fun (even though I missed Pilen's lunch at the end...).

Apart from complaining about our peleton technique (;-)) Erik Vrang also managed to get some pictures during the ride (I couldn't get my gloves to communicate with the phone to take any myself): CTT blog

The only time I could take a picture was during a necessary fluid relief stop :-)

We have an almost scarily strong group and talked alot about our goals and previous rides. Many were part of the 6.59 team this year that I missed out on. Alot fewer had been part of the team (originally Finax) from 2008 when 4 of us managed to straggle across the line in 8.05. Then there was the 2009 ride where we surprised the only traditionally fast, Mas-group by only mising their time by 1(!) minute. But coming 17th out of 14726 riders was probably OK :-)

Results 2009

Today, of course, that time would have no chance for a top placing, as professionals are trying to break records. But as a group of middle aged men with full time jobs and full time families, I think it's pretty cool being able to put together a fun team challenging the magic 7 hours barrier.

This will be tough, challenging but very fun! I will keep you updated.

Toni

The Road

Got out early for a Sunday ride. If Cormac McCarthy had needed a Swedish setting for The Road he should have filmed this morning. Well OK - it was somebody else who directed the film, but you know what I mean!

Apocalypse?

 

Södertörn?

I rode for a couple of hours at a pathetic speed which I hope I can attribute to both intervals and a run yesterday. Or maybe the early morning. Or maybe that it was cold. Surely I can't just be that slow? :-)

If I had had only one bullet left as in the book I wouldn't have known which of my legs to put out of its mysery!
 

Left or right? Left or right? Left or right...

At least I got out though; got lots of fresh air, got my pulse up a bit and got about 60 km in the legs. I'll pretend I'm worth a nice breakfast now :-)
 

 Happy Fathers Day!

/Toni