Week 14 December Outseason
Hey Everyone!
Hope ya'all crushed it for your bike FTP test on Monday and run tests last night!
I did another bike stage race on Monday night in place of my test and although my FTP dropped 3 watts from my last test, the duration of this stage was almost 8 minutes longer than the course I tested on last time and it was a hilly course with tons of elevation change (mostly from up to even more up). Run test last night yielded a 2 point gain which was a relief 
Would be more meaningful if I could have tested always on the same course, same time, same conditions, but the schedule didn't allow me to do that so the tests were definitely all about "functional pace and power" (as in running or riding in different scenarios like what I'd be exposed to when racing). My next tests will be interesting as the bike race series will be over and I'll be able to fit it in properly and not do it on a "course" but just do a flat time-trial - same with the run test when I can actually access the track again. All in all, feeling even stronger and confident going into the Spring.
Anyway, still basking in the afterglow of the amazing Olympic experience here in Vancouver. Was so amazing to meet and cheer and generally hang-out with amazing people from all around the world who embraced the spirit of the games. Of course the gold medal hockey game was quite "intense" - it was just great to see everyone (peeps from US, Europe, Canada, everywhere) just get completely wrapped up in the game itself and not just about "us versus them".
Made a lot of great new friends and I hope the coverage around the rest of the globe managed to capture just a teeny little bit of the positive vibe and amazing energy that was going on here for the last few weeks.
Fired up to finish the Outseason stronger than ever!
T.
Comments
Hadn't noticed the links at the bottom of your email before so I had to go take a look. The shirt designs are some funny sh*t (I am glad that the kids weren't standing here when I went through them)!
Thanks for the note - it was DEFINITELY an amazing time! For those of you with Facebook, feel free to add me and you can see all the dozens and dozens of picture updates I did while amongst the chaos. I had tons of my US friends giving me crap because I was updating scores and results on my facebook wall before they could even see or hear anything due to the delayed NBC (poor) coverage!
Anyway, glad to hear you pulled it back together for the run test - I still had a problem with pacing this time around but the variance wasn't as bad as the first couple times
haha, and thanks for dropping by gymskinz. All of those sayings are pretty much a result of my triathlon'ing experiences. I haven't been updating the site for quite a while but I'll be doing some big updates for this season. stay tuned!
cheers
Tavis
Good luck with the tests Tavis
Thanx Cary!
hope you're enjoying the 30/30's!! I'm looking forward to seeing how the longer FTP intervals are going to feel after all this.
On a plateau with my bike FTP - although as I've mentioned before, I'm using my Saturday race series time-trials as the bench-mark. This Saturday is an extended "rolling" sprint stage so the course profile should give me something better than the last 3 weeks of hill-climbing (where my girth definitely hasn't helped me when put up against those wily 150 pounders I'm racing against!)
#1. don't tell anyone, but I did puke after my 5k. I wanted to finish hard so for the last 200 I was really focusing on "just get to the finish" and I did and it wan't pretty after that.
#2. I totally identify with "where my girth definitely hasn't helped me when put up against those wily 150 pounders I'm racing against!". Let's jsut say that the downhills and gravity are REALLY good to me, but I am working on it.
HAHA! That's awesome! There's a running joke (no pun intended) at the facility where I race/train/get tested that unless you puke at the end of the final stage - or come DANGEROUSLY close to it - you obviously didn't go hard enough. There's usually one of the other physiologists on hand at the end of the computrainer race stages shouting "anyone need the bin?!"... 3 people have yacked just as they cross the finish line this year
keep up the great work man!
Just did my week 14 FTP test - I'm up another 15 watts!!! I think I could have even pushed a little harder. Now I'm solidly over 200! Just in time for Tour of the Battenkill in 3 weeks!! I seriously need to get some outdoors & group rides in between now and then.
No VDOT test for me this week. I'll try to sneak it in next week. NYC half marathon is on Sunday
Have a great time in NYC!!!!