Holding Steady: 172.4 on Halloween

Still holding my weight down. Not much exercise due to both cold weather, slightly stressful work and home (selling house) life.

10 year low: 173.8lbs

The last time I saw 174 on the scale was about seven years ago. Mostly 180 since then. Another few pounds and I'll crack 172 that I haven't seen in 20 years. Then the real push for 165 and my college weight begins.

8 weeks of cycling to work, -6 lbs

4 days/week, 4 miles/day, 8 weeks: 128 miles in 2 months.
I quit eating (mostly) bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc and have lost 12 lbs since April 1.
down 6 since June 1.

short: 13.4 miles @ 15.4mph for 58:30

Long time no ride: 1:17 @ 15.4 for 19.8 miles

I took Forest Street to 4 Mile and up to REI and back.
I started out a little hard and fast and then had to slow down. On the way back up the creek I had an average of 16.5. The climb up Forest Street slowed me down. I saw 6, maybe an 8 on the climb measure on the iPhone app.

1:07 @14.1 for 15.3 miles up Forest St. 5x

I road down the canal, back up the creek to Forest St and then did Forest St. another
4 times in the big ring before heading home.  I get an elevation gain of 5472 ft...which
I don't believe.

No Carbs: 1:10 at 15.8 for 18.5 miles

I made a run to REI and back without sugar-water or much to eat earlier. It was an OK ride, a bit windy, and there was a detour by the Denver CC, so I took 6th ave home....and it was the short version via Forest Street.

Got Mandy Out: 46min @ 13.13 for 10.1 miles

Mandy usually has to ride for a bit to build up knee muscles. It was an easy ride for me, ok for her, but I was the one complaining later? We road the Canal to Florida, over to 4-mile and back on Forest Street.

windy, freezing rain: 20:19 minutes @15.73 for 5.3 miles

I did three laps out to Lowry Blvd, through the town center to 6th ave and out Uinta back to Lowry Blvd.  It was windy, with bits of freezing rain that you could hear, but not see on the streets. I wore my tights, gloves, skull cap and yellow rain jacket. It was borderline if I needed the leg warmers.
I'm sure I was pumping 160bpm. Need that heart rate monitor attachment for the iPhone.

only 5 miles? wow

Short and Hard: 52 min @15.8mph

I rode the Canal and then the Creek to 4-mile, Forest St. and home.
13.8 miles @15.78mph for 52:35 minutes.

50 minutes @14.23

Late Start: 59min @ 13.9

I started late this year. Low motivation, no desire to tackle the triple, and less fabulous weather. I've done a little bit of kettle-bell work to start building some strength into my legs and want to try that this yearf: less distance, more strength, better climbing.

This ride started out OK, a bit cool, maybe 50. I went down the Highline Canal to see the construction at Iliff. The tunnel next to the canal under Iliff isn't as wide as the typical bridge over Cherry Creek, but it will be a welcome addition to the ride. I headed back up the Creek from where they meet to the Four Mile House, then up Forest Street and home. Forest Street was OK, but did use the granny gear and really wasn't interested in a few more laps.

Most everything felt OK. Lungs a bit dry and I coughed up a bit of phlegm, nothing gross though.

Time to get moving, power

February 7, and I don't have the fear I had last year. This might have something to do with not having signed up for the triple. I *do* have plans for the Santa Fe Century in early May though.  3 months away.

I sat on the seated squat and ran 50lbs for 2 feet  once per second. The inside first page of my old physics book says that 1hp is 746 watts and 550 ft-lb/sec. I was getting something like 100 ft-lb/sec or about 135 watts.   ....but for only 6 minutes.

A post from last year says we did 2600 feet in 1.5 hours. At a 5% grade (average), that's 10 miles. A bike calculator says that puts me at about 150 watts or 1/5 hp... for 90 minutes!

The same calculator puts the 120 miles and 10,000 feet of the triple, if I drop my weight down to 165, at 175 watts over 15 hours!

For comparison, if Neal weighs 140, he only needs 153 watts. Either ride is 8000 or 9000 calories before considering the efficiency of the body. The ride is so much more than you think, the weight difference is nothing compared to how fit I am now compared to how fit you have to be.

Losing the 15 pounds from 180 down to 165 is worth about 14 watts, the difference between 189 and 175: a gain of 40 vs 55. That's almost HALF AGAIN what I'd need to gain.

BTW, the Santa Fe century is nothing to sneeze at: 100 miles, 6000 feet
My performance on the triple last year was almost 60 miles in 5.5hours of riding and maybe 6000 feet of climb. The calculator puts that at close to 175 watts?