When the Wifey Smiles

When I wrote Cons... and Pros, I forgot to include another benefit of the asphalt faceplant...

Free Healthcare. You see, when you spend a few nights at Motel UMC you're rewarded with a bill so large you'll have no need to worry about hitting your health insurance's maximum out-of-pocket for the year. Oh yes, you'll hit it immediately. And hard. And then your annual deductible will be met, freeing you up to spend the rest of the year visiting doctors for free, checking all those things your wife has been bugging you about. It's like having a free pass to Six Flags with the ability to ride whatever rides you want, as many times as you want, for the remainder of the year!

And free popcorn and cotton candy too!

Unfortunately, there is tremendous risk of a backfire if one of those doctors inadvertently finds something wrong with you. Then it's like puking up all that popcorn and cotton candy in a trash can after your eighth ride on the Kingda Ka.

Mid-puke you'll recall that old economics rule about "free" lunches.

125 mph launch, 450 foot drop, highly recommended

I ended up tossing some cookies (metaphorically speaking) after a "free" visit to the dermatologist to have some moles removed. The phone call came the next day with some bad news.

Melanoma in my left calf.

The doc explained what this meant, and what would happen next. The biopsy showed that the cancer extended beyond the portion that was cut out, which meant I'd need to have surgery. With the Breslow depth and Clark's level of the Melanoma they found, and assuming it hadn't spread to my lymph nodes, the 10-year survival rate is 92%. And at my age the doctors seem confident that it's been caught soon enough that it should be no problem. But the last thing I wanted to find out this year was that I have cancer.

I didn't want to tell my wife. She's been through so much the past four months with all my nonsense, and you'll recall from Winter that her mom passed away from Melanoma. I considered keeping it from her completely, but I knew that was wrong. A couple days later I told her.

I went in for the surgery about a week ago to have a larger chunk removed from my calf to make sure the Melanoma was completely removed from the site; as well as a sentinel lymph node biopsy, which is where they remove a few lymph nodes and check them for cancer. They inject some sort of radioactive tracer and some dye at the site of the Melanoma, then use a Geiger counter (you know, that thing that counts geigers) to determine which lymph node(s) the tracer/dye travels to first (the "sentinel" node). The idea is that whichever node(s) the tracer/dye travels to is where the cancer would go as well (if it spread). The hope, of course, is that the cancer hasn't spread to the nodes.

Afterward your pee is blue for a couple days, so that is cool.

The surgery was fine except they wouldn't allow just a local anesthetic (I'm not a fan of being unconscious). I argued with the nurse, then the anesthesiologist, then the surgeon -- but in the end after we compared salaries he won and I went under.

Side story. During a hockey game a few years back I took a stick to the face crossing the blue line, was knocked out for a second or two, realized I'd been hit in the eye, and then thought, "oh no, the wifey is going be ticked." She wasn't too pleased about the concussion I'd received a few months prior (puck deflected to just above my right eye), and my assurances back then that the half face shield would be sufficient in avoiding future injuries to my "beautiful face" (her words) were gone as warm liquid poured from my face and created a nice red pool on the ice.

So, I got to spend one night in the hospital with a massive slit in my eyelid.
Oh, and it was Christmas Eve.

Hockey stick to the eye -- wifey does not approve

What was the point of the hockey story? I'm sorry, I forgot.

Oh yes I remember now. The doc that dealt with my gnarly eye issue was willing to give me a local and keep me awake while he worked on it. Not that I enjoyed being awake (imagine a doctor coming at your eye with a 3-inch long needle telling you, "be still and don't blink.") It was no fun to be sure, but I preferred a staring contest with a syringe over being put under a general anesthetic. Why did I need to be unconscious for a little cut on my calf when I could stay awake for one on my eye? Who knows... probably something to do with Obamacare.

Back on track. A few days after the Melanoma surgery I went back to the doc to find out the results. I was confident that they were able to remove all the cancer from my leg (the incision is four inches long after all). But I was concerned that it had spread to my lymph nodes -- and I desperately hoped that I would not need to do chemotherapy. Not because I didn't want to go through it, but because I didn't want my wife to go through it.

She sat by me in the waiting room nervously reading through a magazine, fighting back tears as I'm sure she thought about her mother's battle and the prospect of starting the war all over again. I tried to take her mind off it and when that didn't work I kept telling her that it was "no big deal" and that I was sure the news would be good. She had doubts... and honestly the way things have been going the past few months, I did too.

The 18th book in the Bible is about a dude named Job. It's the oldest book in the Bible, perhaps written prior to the flood. Job is a cool guy but a ton of bad stuff is allowed (by God) to happen to him (losing property, friends, family, etc.). The book unapologetically displays that which often prompts the question: why do "bad" things happen to "good" people? It's a rough book to read and the apparent lesson is difficult to accept, but it does accomplish one thing very well. No matter how bad we think we have it, we're still way better off than Job was. I said a quick prayer as the doctor walked in, but in the back of my mind was something that Job had said...

"The Lord can do everything, and no purpose of His can be withheld from Him." (Job 42:2)

It can be an inspiring verse, reminding us that there is nothing out of God's ability. But it can also be a little unsettling, because nothing is off limits. If He chooses to allow suffering in our lives for whatever purpose He wills... well, good luck withholding that from Him. If His purpose for my wife and me is to go through chemo and all the challenges that accompany it, then that's what we'll do (whether we want to or not). The hardest part isn't necessarily suffering through the "bad" stuff; it's trusting the Lord that allowed it, humbly accepting that there truly is a purpose. I wanted to hear good news, but I was prepared for the alternative.

"We got it all out of your leg. And the results from the biopsy are good, the cancer did not spread."

Thank you, Lord.

As we walked out, I looked at my beautiful bride and suggested we go out for ice cream to celebrate. She smiled with relief, and when the wifey smiles all my worries fade away.

And I'm reminded again just how lucky I am.

Home Mechanic Toolbox

If you are interested in building up your own bike, or would like to start doing your own maintenance and repairs, you have the exciting opportunity to get some new tools! But what tools do you need? What brand should you get? How much will it cost?

There are three main bicycle-specific tool manufacturers. They are Park Tool, Pedro’s, and Spin Doctor. There are others (Abbey, Avenir, IceToolz, Super B, Titan, etc.), but they aren't mentioned as often. Many will say that Park Tool is the gold standard, but those same individuals will admit that certain tools from other manufacturers are superior to those available from Park. For simplicity, and because most of my tools are Park, the prices and pictures represent Park Tools.

There are basically two methods to obtaining your tools. You can purchase a complete set, or buy the tools one-by-one. Typically, buying a set will be less expensive, but you will end up owning tools that you didn’t necessarily need (and perhaps missing some tools that you did). Once you know which tools you need, you can compare the cost of a complete set with purchasing them piece-by-piece.

Some of the tools you’ll need are specific to the bike and components you own (e.g. a bottom bracket tool). But many of the tools are universal (e.g. a chain break). I’ve listed the tools I have found useful and sorted them into four categories, irrelevantly utilizing the acronym CARB to define Cleaners, Adjusters, Replacers, and Builders.

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The Cleaner

Item	Price		Description
Chain lube	$	8	Lubrication for the chain
Brush set	$	18	Brushes to scrub cassette, chainrings, chain, and derailleurs
Degreaser	$	18	Removes grease from cassette, chainrings, chain and derailleurs
Chain scrubber	$	24	Scrubs and degreases the chain
Total	$	68

Brush Set

Chain Scrubber

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The Adjuster

Item	Price		Description
Spoke wrench	$	7	Replace or tighten spokes and true wheels
Anti-sieze compound	$	8	Reduce friction in threaded connections (e.g. pedals)
Grease	$	8	For moving connections (e.g. headset and bottom bracket)
Carbon paste	$	13	For tight carbon-to-carbon connections (e.g. seat post)
Pedal wrench	$	14	Tighten, remove, or replace pedals
5 N·m torque wrench	$	28	For 5 N·m torque requirements (e.g. stem and handlebars)
0-70 N·m torque wrench	$	45	For higher-torque requirements (e.g. pedals and crankset)
Total	$	123

Spoke Wrenches

Torque Wrench (5 N·m)

Torque Wrench (0-70 N·m)

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The Replacer

Tool	Price		Description
Cassette lockring tool	$	8	Replace the cassette
Chain checker	$	10	Check to see if chain needs to be replaced
Chain whip	$	20	Holds the cogs while using the cassette lockring tool
Bottom bracket tool	$	21	Used to install a new bottom bracket
Chain tool	$	30	"Breaks" the chain so it can be replaced
Cable/housing cutter	$	33	Cut cables and cable housing for shifting and brakes
Stand	$	180	Holds the bike secure above the ground
Total	$	302

Cassette Lockring Tool

Chain Whip

Chain Checker

Chain Tool

Stand

Cable/housing Cutter

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The Builder

Tool	Price		Description
Carbon saw blade	$	9	Cut the carbon steerer tube and carbon seat tube
Saw guide	$	35	Ensure straight steerer tube and seat tube cuts
Truing stand	$	99	Holds wheel and indicates out-of-true locations
Headset press	$	153	Install headset and bottom bracket
Total	$	296

Saw Guide

Truing Stand

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Other

Some other tools and accessories you’ll need that you probably already own include electrical tape, hex wrenches, open-end wrenches, rags, scissors, screwdrivers, and zip ties. There are also some accessories that make life easier, like a handlebar holder ($18), work tray ($32), and cable stretcher ($40).

Cable Stretcher

Handlebar Holder

Did I forget anything? Let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Socks

A song by Cake started playing. It was 4:15 am. My alarm was telling me it was time to check my resting heart rate (42 bpm), stealthily slide out of bed, and make my way to the espresso machine. I pulled a double shot and stood in the kitchen for a couple minutes, yawning and trying to decide if I would do (easy) an AE ride or (hard) Kilo Intervals. Evie, our Siberian Husky, whined as if to tell me to do the AE ride. I stretched and considered (very easy) climbing back in bed. A visit the bathroom to ponder further the amount of pain I was willing to endure was in order.

I decided to go with the AE ride; Kilo Intervals just hurt too much. I checked the tires and filled up a water bottle, annoyed that I’d forgotten to fill it partially to freeze overnight. Glaring at the freezer I sighed at my procrastination -- maybe I’ll fix the ice maker next weekend. Evie repeated the soft whine, no doubt wanting to go wherever it was I went every morning. Instead she was escorted to the backyard by a beautiful sleepwalking girl in pink jammies. As she passed, the wifey patted my arm to say good morning -- then returned to the dreams she had put on pause. Again I pondered heading back to bed.

I checked the time and pulled another espresso. Holding the button on the Di2 shifter confirmed that the battery was just fine. Sliding the water bottle into its cage I was now past the point of no return -- the ride was on. I made a trip back to the bedroom to wash-up, dress, kiss the sleepwalker, and reassure her that I would ride safe and be home soon.

Sitting on the couch with the coffee in hand, my eyes lazily wandered the living room. The cloudy skies produced a dim, muted morning light. The humidity in the cool air seemed to slow everything down a bit. I gazed at the clock and let my eyes go out of focus, then looked down at the shoes in front of me. And the socks that I’d laid atop them. Time paused, and the socks spoke.


They reminded me of the accident and resulting recovery period. Of the time the wifey was at work and I wanted to go try a walk but couldn’t put the socks on myself. When I leaned against the bed and stared at them with frustration; with anger. Angry that such a simple task was nearly impossible, that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do. That without assistance the walk would have to wait. Such a small thing, but it emphasized the reality of my injury and forced the realization that my recovery would be a long, boring climb with a headwind. Frustrated with the wasted time; sick of waiting; of being stuck; of being helpless. It brought me to tears. I hated the socks that day.

There are two things that I’m really good at -- being humble and being impatient. The socks forced me to deal with my impatience. They made me stop. They made me wait. They said, "Chill out dude, you’ll get through this and the end will be better. It would be great if you could manage to be just a little more patient instead of selfish and proud. Don’t be all ticked off about it; that’s how idiots act. And quit complaining about how things were better before -- you don’t know the future, so you really don’t know what the heck you’re talking about."

Or, if you prefer New King James:

The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-10

We have a limited amount of time before we check out of this life. For me, impatience stems from an idea that time is being wasted. I’m (slowly) starting to learn that all time can be beneficial for growth, and therefore is not wasted. Finishing the coffee I glanced at my bike and then back down at my socks. I apologized for being angry at them back then. They chuckled, told me that I’m forgiven -- and that it was time to scrap the AE ride plan, man-up, and do some Kilo Intervals.


Last year I set a goal of 550 watts for a 1-minute Kilo Interval. At a couple high points in my training I came close, but never quite got there. Eight months ago, staring angrily at those socks I didn't think I ever would.


Now I have.

Free Lap

In crit racing, a “free lap” is given to riders who flat, experience a mechanical issue, or are involved in a crash. They collect themselves, roll back to the start/finish, and are allowed to jump back into the race by re-joining the main group on the next lap. It is meant to simulate what happens in a road race, when a rider is allowed to draft off team cars to catch back up to the peloton. Near the end of the race, however, when there are just a few laps to go -- free laps are no longer given and the rider must decide to either finish the race solo, or drop out completely.

In life -- just like in crits -- sometimes we get a free lap, and sometimes we don’t. When I was hit by a car I was blessed with being given a free lap. As difficult as it was to deal with, after about six months of collecting myself and rolling back to the start/finish I had the good fortune of being allowed to re-join the group. I may be suffering at the back of the pack right now, but the race isn’t over yet and I may just have something left for the sprint.

Nate Aikele (pictured above with Lance Armstrong), unfortunately, isn’t being given a free lap.

While racing in the Driveway Series a couple weeks ago in Austin, Texas, Nate went off course and hit a tree. He fractured his T4 through T10 vertebrate, severely breaking his T7, and severed his spinal cord. The prognosis is permanent paralysis from the mid-chest down.

Permanent paralysis.

In Hebrews chapter 12, the author refers to our life as a race and encourages us to run it with endurance. That word, “endurance” can also be translated “patience” and it suggests that every individual’s “race” will include difficulties that we must suffer through. The difficulty that Nate has been given to endure is of a magnitude that many, including I, cannot truly comprehend. The race that has been “set before him” is one that no one would willingly choose. If the neurologists are correct, Nate will never re-join the peloton. He may not be receiving the free lap, but he has chosen to not drop out completely – he will finish.

Please join me in praying for Nate and his family, and applaud him as he continues his race. If you are able, the family is seeking donations to aid in his recovery.
You can donate online here: https://fundly.com/nate-for-the-win

He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31

Be careful out there,
and when you feel that burn in your legs on the hard training days -- be thankful.

Power Pulse Intervals

Circuit Diagram for a Power Pulse Generator

In my junior year at the U of A, I took a circuits class with Dr. Miklos Silzaki or Shilzagi or Sizzleki or something. He was born in Budapest, Hungary and spent some time in Russia studying Electrical Engineering and Physics. He had some interesting (read: somewhat crazy) political views and described himself as a "liberal conservative" -- which may have simply meant that he was confused. We always found it strange when he would launch into some sort of political rant in the middle of a discussion about how capacitors work.

A nice guy, but a horrible instructor. I learned just about nothing from him and I was not alone. In fact, I recall reading a letter written to the Arizona Daily Wildcat back in 2002 regarding Miklos that expressed the same dissatisfaction with his teaching abilities as my friends and I had. I was even able to use the amazing power of the internets to find that letter, and the correct spelling of his last name, Szilagyi (pronounced just how it's spelled).

John Parker, at the time an Industrial Engineering senior said, "I believe that his method of teaching would be considered, if in some other profession, fraudulent, because it fails in the most basic objective of teaching which is to TEACH."

I still remember this funny thing about Dr. Siljocky -- dangit I already forgot how to spell his name. He would start class every time asking in his thick Hungarian/Russian accent, "Gude uff tanune, und vutt tis yore virsht kwesh tone?" (translation: Good afternoon, and what is your first question?). Since we weren't learning anything in his class we never had any questions. So instead we just stared back at him waiting for his standard reply, which was, "Ull rite, ten vutt tis yore seckund kwesh tone?"

Ahh yes, good times. I took that course with a friend named Billy who was extremely intelligent and never combed his hair (think Einstein). He was much smarter than I and a really fun guy to hang out with. We took a Design of Machines course together and teamed up on a project to design a mechanical bull using four-bar linkages and force, height, velocity, and acceleration requirements. It of course required on-site testing of the mechanical bull installed at the Wild Wild West nightclub on Ina.

Investigative Field Testing with Billy

We received an A on the project. Fun class, and Dr. Ara Arabyan was an excellent instructor. Billy, by the way, now works as a project manager in San Luis Obispo for REC Solar. I wonder if he combs his hair.

I know, I know... You see, I did an image search for "Power Pulse Intervals" so I could have a visual to share for this workout and the circuit diagram for a power pulse generator showed up, which reminded me of my circuits class... which reminded me of Miklos... which reminded me of Billy... which reminded me of the mechanical bull design.

Obviously, there are side effects from an SUV-induced-windshield-headbutt-to-asphalt-faceplant.

Power Pulse Intervals

Type:	Muscular Endurance
Duration:	30 - 60 minutes
Complexity:	2 / 5 (easy)
Difficulty:	4 / 5 (difficult)
Computer:	3-second power, heart rate, cadence, lap time

Power Pulse intervals are a Muscular Endurance (ME) workout. These intervals will help increase your ME by riding above lactate threshold and ending the interval shortly after you go anaerobic. The intent is to train your body to increase its aerobic duration by pushing the "ceiling" of your lactate threshold. If you find yourself getting dropped on the fast group rides, or have mediocre time trial results, or difficulty climbing at a strong pace for extended periods of time -- these intervals will help.

The Short Version

Warm-up
5 intervals of
- - CP12 power until HR is 3 bpm above LTHR
- - rest for 1/4 the work interval time
Cool-down

The Long Version

Determining your Interval Power

The first step for doing power pulse intervals is to determine what power output you should be achieving for the interval. If the power is too high, you'll go anaerobic too quickly -- too low, and you'll stay aerobic too long (perhaps forever). The right power depends on the individual, and is typically 5-15% above your FTP. You can try different values to find one that results in the desired interval duration, or you can use your Critical Power (CP) for 12 minutes (i.e. the maximum power you can produce for 12 minutes).

If you don't have a power meter, get one. If you haven't done testing to determine your CP12, do it. Simply warm-up and ride as hard as you can for 12 minutes, trying to maintain steady power output for the duration. If you don't know your FTP, do the CP30 test (but not on the same day as your CP12 test).

Some examples:

1. Adam did a CP12 test and was able to hold 275 watts for 12 minutes, so his interval power is 275 w.
2. Bruce did a CP30 test and was able to hold 250 watts for 30 minutes. He is too scared to do a CP12 test so he decided to just add 10% to his FTP (250 * 1.1 = 275 w).
3. Chuck just got a power meter but refuses to do any testing, so he decided to just try 400 watts and see what happened. He immediately went anaerobic but didn't know to stop the interval because he had no idea what his LTHR was. After two minutes he puked and everyone made fun of him.

Don't be Chuck.

After you complete your first interval, you'll have a good idea of whether your power output is appropriate for this workout. If you find that your first interval only lasts two minutes, reduce the power slightly for the next one. If your interval lasts 10 minutes, increase your power slightly. You're looking for around a five-minute interval.

Choosing your Route

Since you will be maintaining relatively high power output for relatively long periods of time, you will be covering a lot of ground. On a flat course at 275 watts a 6-foot tall, 150-lb rider would cover almost two miles in a single interval. You want to avoid routes that would have stops in it to disrupt your intervals. You also want to avoid rollers which will complicate maintaining a steady power output. The ideal route would be a hill climb with a grade of 2-5% and length sufficient to complete five full intervals. Mt. Lemmon is a great option. With a constant 5% slope, that same rider would now cover about one mile per interval. Five intervals fit very nicely into a ride to Molino Basin*.

* Every Thursday morning at 5:30 the JKG group meets at Le Buzz to ride to Molino Basin. Great group of guys, highly recommended.

Starting the Workout

Before you start, make sure you are sufficiently warmed-up and your computer is displaying power (3-second average), heart rate, cadence, and lap time. When you begin the first interval, press the lap button.

Ending an Interval

During the interval you will want to glance at your computer every so often to check your power output, heart rate, and cadence. You'll see your heart rate increase quickly over the first half of the interval and then slowly creep to your LTHR. Once you see your HR three beats above your LTHR, press your lap button and reduce power to zone 1 recovery. When you press your lap button, it should display the previous lap time. While you are recovering in zone 1, determine how long your recovery interval should be (1/4 the time of the work interval).

Remember to wait until your heart rate is 3 beats above your LTHR. You want to dip slightly into your anaerobic range to push your ceiling. Keep your power steady and avoid the temptation to push harder to increase your heart rate so you can end the interval.

So if your interval lap time was 5:36, your recovery time should be about 1.5 minutes (1 minute, 24 seconds if you're a math nerd). It doesn't have to be exact, but you don't want your recovery to be too long. I usually do 1 minute of recovery for intervals under 5 minutes and 1.5 minutes for intervals under 7 minutes. You won't be recovered completely, and that is by design. Your first interval will likely be longer than the others, and you may find that interval duration decreases with each interval. If your interval length drops below three minutes, decrease power slightly for the next one to try to stay in that 3-7 minute range.

Example of a Power Pulse Interval

The workout is complete once you have finished five intervals and their associated recoveries. If you pressed your lap button at all the appropriate spots, you should have 11 laps (one of them being your warm-up). After uploading your data you can take a look at each interval and make note of their duration and average power. With that information you can determine what power output you should shoot for next time.

For example, if your intervals were:

1. 300 watts for 3 minutes (1-minute recovery)
2. 270 watts for 5 minutes (1-minute recovery)
3. 280 watts for 3 minutes (1-minute recovery)
4. 240 watts for 6 minutes (1.5-minute recovery)
5. 250 watts for 5 minutes (1-minute recovery)

then you probably want to aim for 260 watts the next time. Ideally you want all five intervals to be 5 minutes long with 1-minute recoveries.

You'll probably want to limit this workout to once a week. After a month or two you'll notice your intervals will last longer -- to the point where you'll need to increase your power to keep them under seven minutes. Congratulations, this indicates an increase of your FTP -- which means it's time for you to perform another FTP test. You can try estimating your new FTP via this workout, but it will be slightly skewed since you are performing the workout on a hill climb -- it's better to perform a consistent test every few months.

Since this workout is based on heart rate, some additional influences (e.g. dehydration, lack of sleep, hot weather) will be a factor. Also remember to keep track of your fatigue with the Performance Management Chart ("Fitness & Freshness" in Strava) and avoid overtraining.

Tolero Criterium Series #1

You know that feeling when you've just uploaded your ride to Strava and are hovering over that "Private" button with the thought that you should not show anyone how bad you did in a race?

No, of course not. Me either, I was just speaking hypothetically.

Last year's race (dark), this year's (light)

I raced in two of the Tolero crits (the 5's and the 4/5's). The fields were small, I think seven guys in the 5's and nine in the 4/5's. My goals (in order of importance) were to not crash, work on cornering confidence, work on pack riding confidence, see how my sprint/jump was, and finish with the groups.

I am happy to report that I met almost all my goals. But I still hovered over that “private” button for a while...

The 5’s

I didn’t have a great warm-up but the first three laps were slow so it wasn’t a big deal. The forth lap was a prime and so we all upped the pace and I felt good. I decided not to go for the prime and wait for the next one with the intent of seeing how good my jump/sprint was.

The second prime came on the seventh lap. I stayed in fifth position with the intent of seeing how many guys I could pass on the sprint hill. I jumped hard out of the corner and pushed hard for what ended up being a 10-second burst. I was geared right with a good steady cadence. Surely I could pass at least one guy, right? Wrong.

And don’t call me Surely.

I had no jump, no acceleration, and no speed. I felt fresh and had zero fatigue in my legs but I just had no strength. Post-race data showed that my peak power was less than my 10-second power at last year’s Tolero crit. Ugh. I continued in the race with the sole intent of working on my cornering. I took corners at varying angles and found the good lines for staying off the brakes. I played around with tailgunning* to avoid the slowing of the other riders and was able to carry my speed through the corners and re-attach to the group with minimal effort.

* Tailgunning is when you are at the back of the group and allow a little gap between you and the rider in front of you. When you go through a corner, usually the group will slow and if you are right on the wheel of the rider in front of you braking is required (which wastes energy). By tailgunning, you can stay off the brakes and take the corner at your own speed, hopefully timing it right so that you regain contact with the group without needing to accelerate.

I felt good in the corners and loved the feel of the Noah, which is much stiffer than the Allez. The shorter wheelbase and more aggressive saddle-to-bar drop (giving me a lower center of gravity) really gave me a feeling of complete control in the turns. I’ve still got a ways to go with the cornering confidence, but I made some significant gains during these races.

I didn’t sprint for any of the other primes and instead waited for the finish. I didn’t have much hope based on my earlier “jump” and that negative mindset probably did more damage than my lack of strength. I was “lazy” on the last lap and didn’t try to move up into a good position. When we went into the final corner I was in last position, and despite all the power I could muster, that’s where I stayed.

Last.

The 4/5’s

With the discouraging results in the 5’s race I didn’t have much hope for the 4/5’s. The plan was to work on cornering some more and stay with the group. I didn’t plan on going after any of the primes and doubted that I had enough jump to follow any attacks. I had a better warm-up for this race which was good because it was fairly quick from the start.

The first prime came on the forth lap and the pace quickened in preparation for the sprint. I was near the back and unfortunately the guy in front of me let a gap develop during that lap. When it came time to close it he was able to power his way back into the group but I couldn’t hold his wheel and spent a lot of energy getting back in the group. I tried to recover but the pace was high and the accelerations out of the corners were taking their toll. After just 10 minutes I popped and watched the group slowly move away from me. Ugh.

I decided to stay above threshold and continue to work on my cornering. It sucks riding solo but after two laps I had caught another guy who had been dropped. I pulled around and told him we should work together to try to catch back on. We traded pulls for a while but I guess he was pretty toasted because any gains I made during my pull were lost when he pulled. After probably six laps I finished a pull and expected him to come around me but he was gone. I looked back and was shocked that I couldn’t see him at all. Apparently he crashed on the tight "dumpster corner" but I never heard it so I think he may have lost my wheel at some point prior to the crash. Hopefully he’s not banged up too bad.

The Dumpster Corner

I tried a few different lines through the dumpster corner. The green circle above represents the maximum-radius route, which in theory is the fastest line through the corner. When going through as a group you're limited on what line you can take, but when you're on the front or solo following this radius is likely the best option. I can recall riding over the concrete pad a couple times which is a very inefficient route.

I got back to work solo, working on cornering and staying above threshold. I started feeling very confident on the dumpster corner as well as the final corner before the sprint hill. At about the 5-laps to-go mark, I was lapped by a three-man break containing my good friend, Cody. I was bummed to get lapped but super excited for him. I looked back and couldn’t see the main group yet so I decided to work as hard as I could to stay away from them. Half a lap later and I had another dropped rider in my sight. I caught up to him and told him we should work together to stay away from the main group. We traded 1-lap pulls for the remainder of the race and on the last lap I asked him if he wanted to sprint it out. The only reason I wanted to sprint was for the practice, but he wasn’t interested. I did a half-hearted sprint to the line only semi-curious about the top number I could generate. It wasn’t much.

Second to last.

Not exactly my idea of a good race day. But all things considered, I’m happy. I really enjoy crits and cornering well is a major factor in these races. Having the opportunity to work on that was definitely beneficial. I’m not surprised by my lack of jump. Since getting back on the bike I’ve been focused on restoring my aerobic endurance -- not anaerobic. I’ll be moving out of my Base period and into my first Build period of the year soon and I fully expect to regain the jump I once had (and hopefully surpass it).

Building a Solid Base

Khafre Pyramid near Cairo, Egypt

You've likely heard it discussed before: it's time to build up a good "base" for the coming season. So what is this base? Why do you need it? When do you start it? How do you get it and how do you know when you have it? I won't pretend to be an expert on training, but I'll offer what I've gleaned from others as well as my own personal experiences with the Base period.

What is Base?

"Periodization" is widely accepted and utilized for training. Periodization is simply breaking down a training year into different periods: usually Base, Build, Transition, Taper, and Peak. The Base period is the first "step" in a training year and is meant to be the aerobic fitness foundation for the rest of the training (and therefore is considered to be the most important component of training). Without a good base, one will likely not reach their full potential and may even experience injury when training at higher intensities later in the year.

When Should I Work on My Base?

Since the Base period is meant to be the beginning of a training year, when it starts depends on what you are training for. If you are training for the Colossal Cave road race in April your Base period will start earlier than if you are training for El Tour de Tucson at the end of November. If you aren't training for a specific event, your Base period will want to coincide with what you would consider your "off-season" (perhaps the winter months when you might ride indoors more often). The Base period requires the most time on the bike compared to the other periods, so ideally you would build your base over the time of year when you are able to devote the most time to training.

What Workouts Should I Do?

According to many training guides, the Base period is mainly about increasing Aerobic Endurance (AE). Simply put, AE workouts are riding for extended periods of time in heart rate zone 2. The minimum ride length is probably 30 minutes, and the maximum depends on the individual. For the first four weeks of Base (Base 1), you'll mostly be doing AE rides -- but it is a good idea to include some Speed workouts too. For weeks 5 through 12 (Base 2 and 3), adding some Force and Muscular Endurance (ME) workouts is recommended. The following general time percent breakdown can be used as a template:

	AE	Speed	Force	ME
Base 1 (weeks 1-4)	90%	10%	--	--
Base 2 (weeks 5-8)	70%	15%	10%	5%
Base 3 (weeks 9-12)	55%	15%	20%	10%

Everyone's heart rate zones are different, so you will need to determine your own zone 2. There are a few ways of doing this. My recommendation is to perform a 30 minute LTHR (lactate threshold heart rate) test. This test is difficult but well worth the time and effort. If you have a power meter the same 30 minute test will give you your LTHR and FTP (functional threshold power). Click here to learn how to perform the 30 minute test.

Once you know your LTHR, you can determine your heart rate zones. They are as follows:

Zone	Percent of LTHR
1 (Active recovery)	< 80
2 (Aerobic threshold)	81 - 89
3 (Tempo)	90 - 93
4 (Lactate threshold)	94 - 99
5a (Super-threshold)	100 - 102
5b (Aerobic capacity)	103 - 106
5c (Anaerobic capacity)	> 106

For example, if you find that your LTHR is 175 bpm, your zone 2 range would be 142 - 155 bpm. Aerobic endurance training will mainly utilize your slow-twitch muscle fibers. These muscle fibers produce most of the power in cycling, with the fast-twitch fibers only utilized during the very high intensity efforts associated with attacking and sprinting. Training in higher zones will be less effective at strengthening your slow-twitch fibers, so during Base training, the more time you can remain in zone 2 the better. With aerobic endurance training, fat is the primary fuel used for exercise (not carbohydrates). Make sure that you fuel your body appropriately.

If you are fairly new to training, the amount of time you should spend riding in zone 2 during the Base period depends on just one thing: how much time you have available. It doesn't matter if you are training for 100-mile road races or 30-minute crits -- the more aerobic endurance miles you can rack up during the Base period, the better. Realize, though, that it is possible to overtrain even when riding at this low intensity. Pay attention to your body and take recovery days to avoid building up too much fatigue. If you have a power meter you can monitor this with your Performance Management Chart (to be discussed in a future blog post).

How Long Should Base Last?

There are a few methods to determining how long your Base period should last. Some training programs simply set it at 8 or 12 weeks. Some individuals I've talked to simply go by weight loss (they have a set racing weight that they shoot for). The methods I'll describe here are not meant to be the rules for ending your Base period -- I provide it because I believe the more information you have about your fitness the better you'll train. So if you want to stick to the 8-week program that is great -- you can still monitor the other techniques described here.

Efficiency Factor

Efficiency Factor (EF) is defined as the average power you produce divided by your average heart rate over the time you spend in zone 2. EF does not apply to time spent outside zone 2, so it is important to maintain a somewhat steady heart rate within your appropriate range. Typical rides require some time to warm-up, so when calculating EF you'll want to make sure you exclude that warm-up time.

EF =	Average Power (watts)
	Average Heart Rate (bpm)

Since EF is dependent on your personal LTHR, comparing your EF with other athletes is of little use. Comparing your own EF from one ride to another, though, is very useful for assessing your aerobic endurance (or generally speaking, fitness). An increase in EF from one ride to another signifies an increase in aerobic endurance. A decrease suggests you have built up significant fatigue and should utilize some recovery. A plateau suggests you have increased your Aerobic Endurance as far as you can with your current training and it may be time for you to move into a Build period.

You will find that your EF for indoor rides will be different from outdoor rides. Typically, due to insufficient body heat management, indoor rides will have lower EF values than outdoor. Additionally, if your indoor rides utilize both rollers and a trainer you will likely find that roller rides have higher EF values than trainer rides. This is because trainers provide constant resistance throughout the pedal stroke while rollers have slightly better "road feel" characteristics.

In the above example, you can see that significant gains in aerobic endurance were achived in the first three weeks. The forth week should have been more of a recovery week to eliminate some of the fatigue that had been built up. By not resting, this example shows a decrease in EF that needed another two weeks to re-gain. With very little change to EF in weeks six through eight, little aerobic endurance was gained during that time and it may have been better to move into the Build period. By monitoring your EF, you can analyze your training to ensure your time is spent wisely.

Decoupling

Another method of determining one's aerobic endurance is by taking a look at Decoupling. When you lack sufficient aerobic endurance, on longer AE rides with steady power output your heart rate will increase over time. Or alternatively, with a steady heart rate your power output will decrease over time. This is referred to as being decoupled, meaning your heart rate is not tracking with your power output. Below are examples of a decoupled ride and a coupled ride.

You can see how the heart rate in the Decoupled ride on the left steadily increases over time even though the power output is held constant. This indicates low aerobic endurance, suggesting additional Base period training in heart rate zone 2 will be beneficial. The Coupled ride on the right indicates good aerobic endurance.

Speed-based Efficiency Factor

If you do not have a power meter, get one. For $700, Stages Cycling has Shimano, SRAM, and FSA offerings. Go order one from Chris at ProBike and tell him Buzz sent you. He'll give you a great deal and reward me with a free valve stem cap for the referral.

If you still don't want to buy a power meter, you can employ an alternative equation for EF to use for your aerobic endurance training. Instead of average power, you can look at asverage speed (and then multiply by 10).

EF =	Average Speed (mph)	* 10
	Average Heart Rate (bpm)

In order to use this method, though, you will need to ensure the following:

• Identical route each time with no stops
• Identical hand position (e.g. on the hoods)
• No wind
• No drafting

Keep in mind that there are still factors that will affect speed-based EF like temperature, tire pressure, position on the bike, clothing, weight, etc. For accurate values you want everything to be as identical as possible. It is almost not worth the trouble and there are so many benefits to training with a power meter I hate to suggest this as an alternative. Seriously, just cancel your cable for six months and go buy a power meter.

A Quick Review

1. The Base period is mainly about increasing your Aerobic Endurance (AE).
2. A generic AE training ride consists of 1-2 hours of steady riding in heart rate zone 2.
3. Determine your personal heart rate zone 2 via the 30-minute LTHR test.
4. Calculate EF for each AE ride to get a feel for your aerobic endurance.
5. If you don't have a power meter, get one.

New Bike Build: Part 4

Bike Build Part 1	Bike Build Part 2	Bike Build Part 3	Bike Build Part 4

Rufus Wright, yes... his name was Rufus

Apologies for the delay since the last bike build post. When I wasn't able to spend time on the bike I opted instead to write about all things bike-related. Now that the docs have cleared me to ride the trainer, all I want to do is ride -- and so the writing has been back-burnered.

Before we get started, a quick side story about the wrench photo above. In 1891, Rufus Wright and his son-in-law, Fred Morgan, started Morgan & Wright, a bicycle tire manufacturing company in Chicago. They also produced other bike components and accessories (like the wrench above). The company was very successful, later moving to Detroit in 1906 and bought by U.S. Rubber Co. in 1911, where their manufacturing techniques were utilized in the manufacturing of tires for automobiles. Rufus was a millionaire but lived modestly and was loved by his ~2,000 employees. Rufus married Helen Allen and they had two daughters. A brilliant inventor and craftsman, Rufus was also an accomplished artist. He spent a lot of time volunteering to educate poor boys in Chicago. He is noted for saying, "I never had any ambition for property beyond a comfortable recompense for my services and what I have I want to spend for the welfare of others."

Painting by Rufus (sold for $1,625)

In 1900, at the age of 67, Rufus was shot in the neck by a woman named Louisa. She was drunk and had asked Rufus to come over. They were talking when Louisa mentioned that she had a gun. He asked her to give it to him and after some convincing finally showed it to him. She refused, however, to hand it over and he struggled to take it from her. During the scuffle he was shot.

Louisa's words: "He fell back on the sofa and gasped that he was shot. I laughed hysterically and told him he was alright. He insisted that he had been wounded and begged me to call a doctor. I told him he was dreaming... I saw at a glance that the revolver had done deadly work, but I could not bring myself to tell anyone of the occurrence. I waited on Mr. Wright for about two hours before I summoned a doctor."

(green text to indicate drunken, slurred speech)

When help arrived, Rufus insisted that it was not Louisa's fault, but the police thought otherwise. He died shortly after from the wound. Sceptics suppose that Louisa had some mental troubles, was very drunk, and had told Rufus that she was going to kill herself. Rufus went to see her in an attempt to save her life – and in the process lost his. Even in his death his desire was to help Louisa, insisting that she not be charged with murder. In his eulogy, Rev. J.V. Blake said of Rufus, "Chicago has lost a mighty friend of charity in his death."

Rufus' headstone in Akron, Ohio

So why do I care? Well, he made a cool looking wrench, had a funny name, a mysterious death, and my great-great-great-grandfather's brother, George Wright, spent some time in Chicago in the late 1800s -- so there is a chance (albeit a small one) that I'm related to Rufus.

Anyway, enough somewhat-accurate, minimally-relevant, semi-interesting history. Back to the build.

When I was a kid, I loved taking things apart to see how they worked. Often, my curiosity resulted in my parent's disapproval, like the time I completely disassembled my sister's brand new home stereo, just two days after my father had purchased it for her birthday. I can still remember how angry he was when he discovered me in her room surrounded by screws, plastic covers, resistors, capacitors, wiring, etc. -- a screwdriver in my hand and a grin on my face. "It's alright dad, I'm going to put it back together." Somehow, he knew that when I finished there would be pieces left over... and the stereo would never work again.

Oops.

But I learned a lot from my youthful confidence, and the countless mistakes it resulted in. I have little doubt that the success I've had as a mechanical engineer could be attributed at least somewhat to the curiosity that drove my parents crazy for years. Problem solving techniques, out-of-the-box thinking, and the willingness to simply try something different have been huge in my professional development.

I have very limited experience with building a bike. But as I did so many years ago looking intently at my sister's stereo scratching my head with some needle-nose pliers, I'll give it a shot and see what happens...

Seatmast Clamp / Saddle / Di2 Battery

The Noah frameset employs the integrated seatmast and comes with the necessary clamp. The clamp fits snuggly to the seatmast and has a single hex key bolt to secure it. The saddle is held in place by a single hex bolt, accessible from the top. There are three saddle clamp positions for the hex bolt and a notched-hole for the Di2 wire that attaches to the battery.

Seatmast clamp shown by professional hand model

I was not a fan of the hex bolt. With the saddle installed, it was difficult to tighten the bolt and I didn't like the appearance of it. Plus, my multi-tool doesn't (and to my knowledge, no cycling-specific multi-tools do) have a wrench in it for that kind of bolt. I decided to trade it out for a knurled stainless steel hex key bolt, which makes installation much easier and has (in my opinion) a "cleaner" appearance. And if I need to adjust the saddle during a ride, I can use the multi-tool.

Replaced bolt shown by professional finger model / new bolt installed

The Di2 battery mounts to the seatmast clamp behind the seat tube under the saddle. An unfortunate issue is that whenever the battery needs to be removed for charging, the saddle is sort of in the way -- I won't have to loosen the saddle to get the battery out, but it is a tight fit. The battery charge is reported to last 600 to 1,500 miles (depending on how often you change gears), so it isn't a huge deal.

Di2 battery connector mounted to seatmast clamp / saddle and battery installed

Most Di2 batteries are installed below the bottle cage on the down tube, but the Noah places Shimano batteries behind the saddle and Campagnolo batteries on the down tube. The aerodynamics are theoretically better with it behind the saddle, and there's less chance of water / dirt / grime damaging it -- but I'm not sure I like the look of it up there and though I don't use one, it eliminates the ability to use a seat bag. I may end up swapping it out for an internal battery installed inside the seatmast.

Guidelines on the SLR saddle rails make adjustments easy

Using a hex key through the slot in the Flow saddle, installing, adjusting, and tightening were quick and easy. When the build is complete, I will adjust the saddle, stem, and handlebar positions to reflect my bike-fit measurements. At that time I will cut the seatmast for the necessary saddle height, hopefully remembering to measure a few times before grabbing the hacksaw.

Headset / Steerer Tube / Stem

The Noah comes with an FSA integrated headset with a nice shallow top cap about one-third the height of the monster that Specialized uses on the Allez. The Noah's head tube is 30 mm shorter than the Allez, but still a tad tall for my taste at 175 mm, so a shallow top cap helps with getting the bars nice and low.

I greased the necessary parts of the headset (the bottom race, top race, bottom bearing, top bearing, and the bottom and top surfaces of the head tube). The bottom race is already pressed on the steerer tube by Ridley. The lower bearing is installed angled-side-up on the steerer tube, and slid down to mate with the lower race, then inserted into the head tube. The top bearing is installed angled-side-down, slid down the steerer tube to the top of the head tube. The upper race slides down the steerer tube to mate with the top bearing. Then the top cap (with internal O-ring) slides down to cover up the top bearing. It's a very quick and easy installation -- the hardest part is probably remembering which way the angled bearings face -- and making sure none of that "gross green junk" (wifey's words) gets on the couch.

Bottom bearing on steerer tube sliding into head tube / top bearing and race

I stole the 3T ARX Pro 110 mm, 17-degree stem from the demolished Allez and decided to try it out on the Noah to see if the length would work before buying a new stem. The Allez had a reach (horizontal distance from bottom bracket to top of head tube) of 397 mm and the Noah has a reach of 390 mm. So it may end up that I need a 120 mm stem to align with my previous bike fit, but with the stack (vertical distance from bottom bracket to top of head tube) and head tube both being shorter on the Noah, the 110 mm stem may just work out perfectly. With the Noah's head tube angle being 73.5 degrees, the 17-degree stem (flipped) makes the stem just about parallel to the ground. If I keep it, for aesthetics I'll probably use some acetone and a rag on the stem to remove the 3T logos (and maybe the stripe too).

With the back injury and unknown flexibility I fought the urge to slam the stem and cut the steerer tube accordingly. I added a 7 mm spacer on top of the headset and then another 5 mm spacer on top of the stem, giving me 12 mm of available "comfort adjustment" in case I find it's needed. If my post-recovery flexibility can handle the slammed stem I will remove the spacers and re-cut the steerer tube.

Headset installed with shallow top cap / spacers and stem setup

With the headset, spacers, and stem installed I marked the steerer tube with a paint pen and then disassembled it all so I could make the cut. I removed the top spacer to mark the cut line because I want the steerer tube to be slightly (2-3 mm) lower than the spacer to correctly install the headset preload expander. I used a hacksaw guide made by Park Tool, and a blade specific for cutting carbon fiber.

Steerer tube cut line just above stem / hacksaw cutting guide

The cutting guide clamps into a vice to hold the steerer tube steady while you cut. A standard hacksaw blade will work provided it has small teeth and is sharp. You want the cut to be straight and smooth, and remember not to inhale the carbon fiber dust (I think it kills you). Once cut, you can use a file or sandpaper to make the end nice and smooth.

Cutting the steerer tube / don't inhale the dust

After cutting it, I used the little trick of writing my info on the hidden portion of the steerer tube. It doesn't prevent theft, but it can help prove ownership if the bike is recovered. Taking pictures of everything is important too, including (especially) the serial number. Photo documentary, receipts, and a detailed list of bike components greatly assists with insurance claims too. I have a template you can download in my Insurance for Cyclists post.

Owner info / steerer tube cut 2-3 mm below the spacer

You can see how the steerer tube is 2-3 mm lower than the spacer to allow proper installation of the preload expander. The insert preloads the headset by expanding when you tighten the hex key bolt. It comes with an optional sleeve if you need it. I like the expander that came with the Noah -- the one from Specialized was finicky.

Headset preload expander with optional sleeve / installing expander

I tightened the preload expander until there was no play in the headset and then tightened the bolts for the stem (using a 5 N·m torque wrench). You want the headset to be snug but not over-tightened as it will affect steering and bearing wear. If the headset is too loose you can damage the bearings. Once the build is complete I will loosen the stem and expander and re-tighten it all again to make sure it is properly preloaded.

Adjusting the headset preload / tightening the stem bolts

Handlebars / Shifters

The 3T Ergonova Team Stealth handlebars were a take-off from a bike-shop build and offered to me at a great price. The weight savings of going with these carbon fiber bars is about 67 g, and carbon fiber should help with some vibration dampening. The Ergonova bars employ an "egg-shaped" top meant to provide more comfort (to be determined) and I suppose a little aerodynamic benefit. These bars have a 6-degree flare-out in the drops, making sizing a little different from other bars I've used (44 cm center-to-center is 42 cm at the hoods). The drop of these bars is 123 mm and the reach is 77 mm, both very close to what I am used to.

Installing the handlebars / installing the shifters

Installing the bars is easy. The handlebars have guidelines printed on them to assist with centering, then you rotate them for proper alignment and tighten the four hex key bolts (evenly) to 5 N·m. The flat top is noticeably large, which makes the bars look "heavy" to me -- but I'll try them out and see what I think. I don't ride on the tops much so the comfort of the egg-shape is not really important. I do, however, like the narrower hood location and the flare-out in the drops. And I'll have to do some riding before I can decide if I like the specific ergonomic curvature of these bars (I expect to like it).

Adjusting the height of the shifters / bars and shifters installed

The Ultegra 6700 Di2 shifters feel very similar to the Dura Ace 7800 shifters I had on the Allez. I prefer the feel of these Shimano hoods over the Campagnolo and SRAM ones. The shifters install on the bars by loosening the clamp using a hex key and sliding them up to the appropriate position on the bars. Again, there are guidelines printed so you can install both left and right at the same height. Hood location can be based on feel -- I like a smooth, flat transition from bars to hoods. When doing long hard efforts solo and trying to be "aero" I alternate between IAB (invisible aero bars) and the Sphinx position (which to me is more comfortable with a smooth transition from bars to hoods). Of course when setting up bars one must also take into consideration Rule #46.

Side profile showing bar rotation and shifter location

In Part 5 (which will hopefully be posted before 2015) I'll be installing the brake cables, Di2 wiring, derailleurs, bottom bracket, crankset, and chain.

Bike Build Part 1	Bike Build Part 2	Bike Build Part 3	Bike Build Part 4