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Training – more than riding a bike!

I am excited to try something different in 2023. My new job has me travelling nearly every week to either Nashville, TN or Portland OR.

So I think I’ll be able to race nearly every week, the first time since moving away from Portland 4 years ago!

Portland races are held all summer long either at the Portland International Raceway, or Mt. Tabor. PIR is a safe wide circuit similar to the race to the right which is in Nashville.

Mt. Tabor is a VERY tough and selective hill repeat circuit.

Racing PIR 10 + years ago
That’s me sitting on @Sean’s wheel
Racing @ PIR

Back to the point of the post. In order to hopefully do this racing, I need to be in, well race shape! My racing age will be 50 and I’ve never travelled like this before. So what is success? And how will I achieve it?

Success will be:

  • Top 10 finishes, goal of Top 3
  • Racing an attacking / active style
  • No DNF’s due to being frustrated or getting dropped, ride until the end!
  • Socializing with old friends and making new ones
  • Spreading the word about the Amazing Cardinal Classic Cycling Team and what we are accomplishing in Women’s Cycling Development

How will I get there?

  • I am 15 lb’s over weight and many many watts under power!
    • Lower wait using DQS & 16 hour fasts
  • Increase power through following structured training plan
    • I am using a Garmin Connect bot plan for 2023
  • Keep on the bike through stretching and strength
    • Following Dynamic Cyclist stretching and strength

I am also happy to be supporting the Cardinal-Classic cycling team and have founded the Cardinal Classic Collective team, in which I hope you will consider joining me.

When I left my job at Fiserv, my former team and colleagues gifted me a new GoPro cameral. So I am hoping to document the journey along the way. I supposed a short video post might be infinitely more consumable than a long-form blog post. But the truth is, I’m doing this for my own catharsis.

Well, that’s it for now. I just got a reminder I hit my 16 hour fast mark! So it’s time to sign off and have some fruit and almonds!

I’d be honored if you shared with me, what are your sporting or physical goals for 2023? Is there anything I can do to support your goals?

Thanks!

Neill

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Time for a different kind of team!

After a lengthy break in team leadership, I’m starting a new and exciting team venture. This is a de-centralized team, with a focus on Nashville / Brentwood – Portland / Beaverton – Wake Forest / Raleigh and Charlotte.

The 2023 goal is to build a roster of up to 20 riders. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to hear more or join the Collective. Cardinal Classic Collective

Raise awareness of road cycling both on and off the bike.  We do this on a local level as well as by promoting the Cardinal Classic  Women’s USA Cycling Domestic Elite Team, a registered 501 c3.  

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I’m fat!

Okay, I am not entirely fat, but I am about 15-20 lb’s over race weight!

So I am going to try two methods to see how much I can drop in a month. Using fasting, but upping my daily goal to 16 hours. (I have done 13 hours in the past. Also using the DQS app to try to have a well balanced diet without counting and weighing everything.

Training has been focused more on running than riding during the last few colder months. Today the temps were up and I got the bike out for the first time this year. Thus my feeling a bit rotund. Spandex will do that!

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Two Plans for 2022

I started a half marathon training plan, to prep for The Uwharrie Trail Run Challenge. I’m using a Garmin Coaches training plan for this.

The goal is to:

  1. Spend time training with Lori & Coco
  2. Lose weight earlier in the season
  3. Build some fitness without all the time riding in he cold or on a trainer
  4. Run a half marathon distance again or at leas 10 miles pretty comfortably (it used to be routine a couple of decades ago!)

I started a second training plan using Zwift for just a couple of days a week of riding. It is a mild plan, but I’l switch over to a much tougher plan once I get through the trail run / race.

The goal of the plan is to:

  1. Spinn out my legs for active recovery given the run training
  2. Build functional strength for cycling
  3. Prep for a much harder cycling plan

I am excited to be joining the Cardinal Classic Cycling team for a ride during raining camp in March. So that is some added motivation to get in shape!

I also bought a black dobak because it is thinning. Seriously, next belt is re with black stripe aka deputy belt. Then Blackbelt. Cycling and Taekwondo are not naturally complimentary sports, but it is nice time with my family and having a different focus.

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res firma mitescere nescit

A firm resolve is not easily broken” or “Once you get it up, keep it up.”

I’ll leave the translation to the reader. It’s May 2021 and it has been over two years since I was in race shape from a power or weight perspective.

It’s been a ridiculous two years from moving across country, to the pandemic to a job that gets crazy. Then early this year something changed.

In January I listed to “Quit Like a Woman” and stopped drinking for the second time in my life. The first time lasted a bit over five years. I replaced alchohol with high sugar and high fat foods and my weight went up to a peak near or at 190lb’s perhaps more as the scale became hard to see. Okay, that’s not true, but I didn’t like looking anymore!

By mid February I started riding again, a little. Mid March I started riding more and the first of April I was back on a training plan. Eating whole foods, little meat and fasting 13 hours a day. I’m down 17 lb’s and my power is starting to come back up, slowly. Most of all, I am enjoying the process of training, eating healthy and riding.

I’m also enjoying following the Classic Cycling B-line team Please join me in following them and giving them a thumbs up!

Shane Martin and Classic Cycling have been supportive of me over the years and I am enjoying following these riders as they follow their own path to success, no matter how it is defined.

In a few weeks as I turn 48, here is to hoping res firma mitescere nescit!

.

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Race Into Shape

Well, you could say I’m in terrible shape, or you could say there is just more of me to love.

At Echo Red 2 Red

I did not treat myself well over winter, so now it is time to pay. Two weeks till Monday weekly races start. One month to Montinore Road Race, two months to Cascade Cycling Classic stage race.

Not to fear, I ate a healthy breakfast! So I am at least 50% there. Right?

Oh, I did race the Echo Red 2 Red cross country mountainbike race. On a single speed. But I also did the super short course.

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2019 Starts Now

Yesterday when I was sitting down to write my 2019 plan, I got a text to go for a ride, “now”. 

On thanksgiving John had talked to me about doing a cross country mountain bike race in early March. Which is of course insanely early. Great! I’m in.

Over the past several months work has gone from okay to insanely busy. Poor boundary setting on my part and a real desire to perform well and placing work over health, I’ve gone to pot. (figuratively)

So with an early season goal, and a partner in training to help with accountability, I’m off and running.

After returning from a ride that felt twice as long and hard as it should have, I wrote my training plan to get me to not only Echo Red to Red in shape, but ready to race the Chico Stage Race. I’ve been wanting to race an omnium or stage race for the past several years, but they aren’t close to home and require time away and a real dedication.

Usually, I would say it is way to early to start training in earnest, because the summer is so long. But this year I feel differently. The long work hours, and late nights have left my diet a mess, too many IPA’s and I am uncomfortable standing up straight when I get out of bed, and not in a good I just did a killer workout way.

I’ve also been threatening to start commuting by bike to work since my office moved further from my house. It’s now worth the effort to put all that shit on! My training plan incorporates two days of bike commuting on the days I am doing stretch and core.

Wish me luck!

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Enhance your $@*#)! Calm!

My fitness is coming along, but my body jdoesn’t feel good. That and as the title suggestions, I need to calm my mind.

So I started a 30 day yoga practice this morning. Felt good, but you know day 1.

Adriene is chatty, but I like her yoga sessions and have done several.

No Rocky quotes please.

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Birthday Bonus Race

Occasionally I used to be able to compete in two races in a single day, when the events would line up. I also have had the chance to do a few races in a weekend by participating in an Omnium, often 3 races over three days. Friday night time trial, Saturday Road race, Sunday Criterium.

Next weekend I am heading to Bend Oregon for the High Desert Omnium, three events in two days. Saturday morning Time Trial, Saturday afternoon Criterium, Sunday Road Race.

As a bonus, it looks like I can do two Criteriums on Saturday. And since I am travelling over just for the race and can maximize my race time, I’m in for four events in two days!

Added bonus, because I am taking the Travel Trailer and it’s just a one or two night event, I’m going to be staying on BLM dispersed camping… for free.

Double bonus, Strava says my fitness is approaching the best I have seen in 5 years or more. And doing the four races in two days should further bump that up!

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Monday Night PIR (Portland International Raceway)

PIR onlyA staple of my riding routine is Monday night PIR. And while I enjoy racing on the closed

circuit course, I really enjoy being able to ride there and catch a train or ride home.

I climb over 1,000 feet in the first 6.5 miles. And the climb is on one of the least driven hills near the city. There is no center line and I can often make the climb without seeing a single car.From there I roll down through Forrest Park. I usually make it 2/3 of the way down before being stuck in traffic. After I patiently wait for traffic to clear, it’s up and over St. Johns Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past the University of Portland and into center city neighborhoods. There are some amazing and not so amazing homes, and sights along the way.

Dancing Bear, or Dancing Bare. Then it’s a short jaunt onto the raceway. Lots of circles, last night 14 laps of the 1.9 mile track including a couple trips to the front. Hey Jim, could I get a video clip?

Once the racing is done, it’s a nice mellow ride along the Columbia River Slough to Royale Brewery for some food truck and IPA.

It was another fun, relatively safe night of hard training / racing. And best of all I get to do it all over again next week.