Wed eve spinning

Weather was rubbish on Tuesday, I expected more on Wednesday so decided to spin instead of ride outside on Wednesday eve. Wednesday turned out nice and sunny but stuck to spinning plan anyway.
It didn't go well tonight. Plan was to do a 90min hill-climb at 85% with the occasional tempo increase to keep it interesting! My problems started as soon as the hill - I couldn't get the load high enough - I must be too strong for these bikes :o) - and had to fiddle about trying to get enough load on. This pissed me off a lot and it took me a long time to get the load right and settle down. Then the tempo increased and I went up to 90% for 5 or 6 mins then started to get bored with the music and demotivated. This was also v annoying 'cos I usually really enjoy the music. This time it was deep/progressive house which I find pretty dull and there wasn't enough bass/energy to keep me going so I slowed up and my motivation drained away. I ended up ignoring the music and doing my own 80-90% intervals with alternate high and low tempo. Finally the bass started pumping and the music sped up I managed to get my self going for the last 4 mins at 97%, which is pretty good - should definitely get a sub 10min Frankenstein if I can ride the last 4 mins at that rate. Just need a lot of bass to fuel me :o)
So a good session but didn't enjoy it much :0(

Outside on the mtb with Riccardo & Spinners - Sat 19th May

57km, 1300HM

Went out for some Saturday pm mtb training with Riccardo, Lars, Karl and Ami. A bit different from my normal mtb training! Rode on the road from Da to Auersbach, gradually winding up the pace. Then rode up the Melibokus road at a pretty high pace, until the Auerbacher Schloss/Melibokus split. Rested a bit then rode down (on the road :-( ) and then back up and then down, then up. Not really my idea of fun, especially on a mtb. So, problems with motivation, and the others were faster than me - Riccardo just leaves the rest of standing if he puts his mind to it. So after the third ascent decided to head on up Melibokus on a single-track and then home, but then remembered I had Riccardo's keys so went back down. I complained about preferring to use road-bike on road, mtb off-road, can't self-motivate to go at 100% on road on mtb cos too many gears, whereas have to go hard on road-bike just to turn the gear. Punishment for my insolence was to do the fourth ascent on the big ring. I didn't drop it below 4th because the chain was rubbing so had to do most of it standing. It worked though 'cos I was forced to work at a higher pulse rate. This worked and I knocked 15s of my time.
Then had cafe & kuchen at Auerbacherschloss, said farewells and left them going off-road (at last!!) but south, while I headed towards Melibokus on road (but couldn't be arsed to go to the top) and then down the usual north ridge blast towards Jugenheim , then high speed home on the road via Seeheim, Eberstadt. Polar switched off during feed break so no record of ride home :-(

Not really the sort of mtb training that works for me (might be pretty good on the road bike) but was nice to see how these guys are on the road (very good) and also good company, so will probably try to get them out on my style of marathon training - DA-Frankenstein-Felsburg-Melibokus-Frankenstein-DA. Or even a Pfalz circuit :-)

On uphills was annoyingly aware that the lock-out on my forks is not locking out much nowadays. Must check the air-pressue and get them serviced. They're also leaking a bit of oil.

Spinning - Wednesday 16th May

Usual spinning group with Ricardo. Running (@120rpm) pyramid intervals 3m, 4m, 5, 6, 7m. Then slow pedaling up to >90%, then straight back to running. Finished with 30s all-out speed/power intervals. Phew! Not feeling as tired as usual after, but sore legs, so must have been doing something right. Also surprised that I could run (i.e. pedal standing with no resistance) for 7 mins. Pedal technique must be improving but cadence was relatively low (120!!) and music was even better than most of the excellent music he uses; the final running interval was at more than 130 and much harder.

Can't get heart-rate to max, is it 'cos I'm fitter and max is lower or am I tired or what? Need to experiment outside on Frankenstein or somewhere, but weather really is pants at the mo. Hopefully will be better at the weekend. Would like to do another RTF but not in cool wet weather.

Wednesday eve Spinning Class

Well, the great weather's paused and it's back to the wet stuff, so back inside, instead of the great outdoors.
Usual class with Ricardo, this time with the focus of increasing aerobic threshold. To do this we did seated constant cadence (110 rpm) intervals (i.e. increase the load to get heart-rate up) upto 70%, 85%, 90%, repeated. Also running for about 1min between intervals, just to make it a bit harder!
Top music as usual, especially the funky house version of an 80's acid classic - damn, I've forgotten the name. I really find it makes a huge difference to my motivation and performance when the music's good. When it's really pumping it feels like I'm converting sonic energy directly to power - it really is like an extra energy source. I'll have to get a small mp3 player and try it outside.
Invited for regular long (>70km) mtb ride, every Saturday dep Fitness Co at midday.
Also invited, again, for the Eiger Challenge mtb marathon. 88km/3900m or 55km/2500m, gulp!