Finally back in the saddle

Today was my first day back on the bike after 4 days off. I got 30 miles in after work - all easy and on the "Cervelo" which now comes complete with old school steel toeclips I took off a huge (62cm) Eddy Merckx I'm in the process of chopping up. Ride was "fully loaded" and in the customary midweek winter blue jeans - with chamois underneath. I think this bike measures exactly to my race bike. Its time for a new drivetrain on it though - some skipping. I'll put my old race drivetrain on it when I swap that out on Saturday.

I felt like total crap the first half of this ride but I loosened up the second half. These winter colds drain me.

I went to see my Aunt tonight in the hospital - she is ok. She is great and has really awesome stories about Providence. I learned that virtually my entire family is from Wood St. and Hanover St. in Providence, which is cool because at least Wood St. is getting to be a nicer area now...Hanover still has some work to do. Furthermore, there used to be a bar called Hanrahan's City Line Tap on Niantic and Cranston...right across from the old Narragansett Brewery. They tore the bar down when they built Rt. 10...which I guess used to be Huntington Ave. Damn progress. That would have been really cool if this place was still here.

Tomorrow the principle of Occupational Periodization and Relationship Periodization are at work with intervals of forced rest in the immediate training plan unless I wake at 6AM and somehow motivate to ride before work - maybe 8-12 20 sec seated easy gear spin sprints. I have been informed that my trainer is excessively loud so early AM trainer sessions are out. Friday I might make a ride...maybe inside though 3 x 9 minute intervals, shifting every 3 minutes into an ever harder gear. Sat. is a sure go with 3+ @ base 1/2 (145 bpm spin for endurance) and Sunday is the 1st Ninigret (I think) with 4h+ forecast (hard, hard, hard). I don't even know about next week. I hope to get some solid training in after this cold screwed me up. Having 2 hard days (Fri/Sun) should wear me out and since next week is another busy week, I should be able to rest Mon/Tues. For the foreseeable future, it looks like 4 days where I can train - W/F/Sat. and Sun. which should be OK as long as I manage these rides and have a focus. I'm getting much more creative with time though as it seems to be diminishing so I'm going to focus on these days and then see how this goes.