And some being removed
Well I did a lot of research on preparing for altitude (research meaning sitting here and googling shit), and what I learned was semi disturbing. The best thing I can do from this point on is to back off from what I've been doing. Ride time needs to be cut back substantially very soon, and weight loss is sorta out the window. In order to lose weight I was cutting some calories and riding more, but without the extra riding part I doubt I'm gonna come close to my "ideal" climbing weight. Meh.Supposedly you don't wanna go to altitude depleted in any sort of manner. No matter what kinda shape you're in the altitude is gonna knock you down a few notches, so you wanna be as recovered as possible. I'm realizing it's not the climbing (and the weight keeping me from climbing faster) that's gonna hurt the most, it's gonna be the fact that I can't get oxygen to my muscles like I'm used to here at 800 feet above sea level. Did I mention "meh"?
So this week I'm leading into the Cowbell Marathon on Saturday, and then from that point on I'm kicking back and doing about as little as possible. There would be enough time for me to recover from the effort of the Cowbell and start ramping back up, but apparently I'd be ramping up for more pain than necessary. In other words my training is going to be less training and more resting, and I think I can live with that. I could use the extra time to sort through my shit in an effort to get my gear under the 50lb/one bag US Airways weight limit.
Honestly I'm sitting here dumbfounded at the moment and wondering what I can drill holes into to save weight in my luggage, so I'm gonna bring this post to a close and stare off into space now.
Morning weight report:
deemed pointless
BTW: This girl (Deanna Adams) is rocking/rolling/riding/racing the Tour Divide on a fixed gear. No MAN has ever done it before, so I'm pulling for her. Follow her on SPOT here.
photo stolen from Chris Plesko's wife Marni
deemed pointless
BTW: This girl (Deanna Adams) is rocking/rolling/riding/racing the Tour Divide on a fixed gear. No MAN has ever done it before, so I'm pulling for her. Follow her on SPOT here.
photo stolen from Chris Plesko's wife Marni
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18 comments:
Just make sure you hydrate, get plenty of sodium (and other electrolytes), and ride more / walk less at altitude and you'll be fine.
The worst part of 12,000 feet for me is walking. Riding had no ill affect, walking the flight of stairs to the bath house at the campground felt like intervals.
WV: avitopla
Borrow an altitude tent and start sleeping in that before Breck.
or go low tech and ride around breathing through a straw
wv: brapa
I was watching this awesome show about this awesome Mixed Martial Arts dude; he had this training technique where he dropped down to the bottom of this lagoon, grabbed a huge rock, then proceeded to run with it across the ocean floor until he was about to die, then he'd come up gasping for air.
That seems like a very accessible, reasonable and convenient way to train for altitude.
-t
Start eating wheatgrass, you vegemitarian.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026418_chlorophyll_wheatgrass_blood.html
she is wearing a furnace creek 508 jersey. be scared. anyone who is capable of racing a 508 mile race is to be feared . . . and riding a fixed gear to boot. i think i just shit myself out of fear.
WV: grochota
Dicky - i have a picture of Jill Homer at the Tour Divide start. How much do you want for it?
robin
Is she looking really hot or very tall?
watcha need is a tent!!!
Not a tent as one in your pants. but, one you need to sleep in.
http://www.hypoxico.com/home_sleep.htm
tri-athletes use them...
that's just getting too weird for me.
When a sport becomes that insane, yah know it is time to quite...
(I know a bunch of people taking intervenous and vit C etc... that's just too much trouble for what its all worth).
And, for La Ruta, I heard a bunch of people train in sauna rooms etc...
Unless yah got a million bucks at stake...
things start getting too weird at the top of the food chain.
I'll sit in the 1/3rd percentil. That's good enough for me. Normal like...
Whatcha may want to do boy:
join a cult.
Then find the Falon Gong movement.
From there, work your way into Tibet.
Sit in the mountain for weeks on end contiplating your naval. Getting to know ones self. Play with ones self on the top of the mountain. Pass out upon climaxing.
Fall down the mountain.
Go home.
Race.
Or go live in Kenya. I heard those dudes/dudettes get fast because they have to go up and down the mountains to get anywhere.
dicky - she had a pic of u on her stem for inspiration...
robin
Some places to try next winter in preparation...
1) Tortola:
some great climbs. They have concrete with grades etched in the climbs are so steep.
http://www.bvitourism.com/Experience/Tortola/
2) St Lucia - great up and downs.
http://www.stlucia.org/
reminded me of Costa Rica!
3) Grenada - one steep long climb up to the rain forest then a wild time down.
http://www.grenadagrenadines.com/index2.html
4) Dominica - heavy duty massive climbs. Spectacular views. There is one side where no one hardly lives the mountains are so massive.
http://www.dominica.dm/site/index.cfm
Lots of heat and altitude on some of the islands.
Great training for the winter months.
Can get from island to island via ferry... (I think)
I'm saving my dough for next winter... I hate winter.
I have a question not related to this post. Thank you in advance for replying to fan mail.
What gear would you run at Dark Mountain trail (Warrior Creek?)? I will be heading that way this weekend and really want to run SS instead of gears.
I think 32X19 or 20 on a 29'er is a nice gear for the area. 32X18 can be a bit steep.
i do high alititudes all the time...of course i live at 6,000 ft.
keep your normal plan until two days before. rest rest rest, then go get em tiger. drink samll amounts often, no more than 24 oz. per hour.
relax, most people tense up.
repeat after me "i am ned the lung, i am ned the lung".......
That fixed girl is riding something strong like 39X 18 with 700c, but why such a loose chain.
I thought she said 46X17?
Her blog is here:
http://ultrarunbikevegan.blogspot.com
I have no idea why her chain is so loose esp. with flat pedals.
I hope Deanna tightened that chain and ripped the mountains!
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