Showing posts with label Fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fitness. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
What Happens Next
So I was unable to get an entry into the Granfondo in July here in Penticton, I could still enter but i am not that interested in paying $200 for something that i could do for free, so at the moment, that looks like it is on the backburner. I will still aim to ride 160 km that day like i had planned, just not in a big bunch like that at the Granfondo.
The next two months are the most important of the year for me, they are the lead up to my summer in Canada. They can either make or break my year. These two months are very important as they are Base Phase 2 and 3 which is all about building my aerobic endurance for me to be able to ride longer and faster at the same intensity. I am really hoping to improve on my Base Phase 1 which i only trained 16 hours out of the planned 34 hours which is less then half of the required training time.
I have two weeks left before i leave for Australia, where the weather is warmer at this time of year. I will hopefully have a bike that i can train on while there which will be great. If i am unable to find a job while there for the 5 weeks, i will have nothing but time to just ride and enjoy the warmth (well warmer then here, it's currently snowing here in Penticton). I arrive in Australia right in the middle of my biggest week in Base Phase 2 in which i require 11 hours of training time, this could put a dent in my training. I figure that i will be out of commission for at least 3 or 4 days (I lose one day in the time zone change, one day for travel and probably one or two days to get use to time zone change). My arrival back to Canada is right in the middle of a rest week which is perfect timing, i only need 5 and a half hours that week.
Well stay tuned, hopefully in two months time you'll be reading about how well my time was spent in Australia and that i am fitter then i have ever been. That's what this is all about, to make sure my health is improved due to my high blood pressure condition and to give 110% to see how far i can push my body to be the best athlete i can be.
2012 is going to be a great year!
The next two months are the most important of the year for me, they are the lead up to my summer in Canada. They can either make or break my year. These two months are very important as they are Base Phase 2 and 3 which is all about building my aerobic endurance for me to be able to ride longer and faster at the same intensity. I am really hoping to improve on my Base Phase 1 which i only trained 16 hours out of the planned 34 hours which is less then half of the required training time.
I have two weeks left before i leave for Australia, where the weather is warmer at this time of year. I will hopefully have a bike that i can train on while there which will be great. If i am unable to find a job while there for the 5 weeks, i will have nothing but time to just ride and enjoy the warmth (well warmer then here, it's currently snowing here in Penticton). I arrive in Australia right in the middle of my biggest week in Base Phase 2 in which i require 11 hours of training time, this could put a dent in my training. I figure that i will be out of commission for at least 3 or 4 days (I lose one day in the time zone change, one day for travel and probably one or two days to get use to time zone change). My arrival back to Canada is right in the middle of a rest week which is perfect timing, i only need 5 and a half hours that week.
Well stay tuned, hopefully in two months time you'll be reading about how well my time was spent in Australia and that i am fitter then i have ever been. That's what this is all about, to make sure my health is improved due to my high blood pressure condition and to give 110% to see how far i can push my body to be the best athlete i can be.
2012 is going to be a great year!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Base Phase 1 Review
So the year is flying by with a review of base phase 1 already, it only feels like a few days ago that i was talking about working hard in my prep phase. Well, Base Phase 1 is nearly done with, just the rest week this week coming up, then Base Phase 2 will start.
Basically, BP1 started quite slowly with the weather being cold and work, i wasn't able to get out for as many hours as i would have liked.
Week 1- I completed 4 hours and 12 minutes.
Week 2- 7 hours and 47 minutes
Week 3- 5 hours and 11 minutes.
Week 1 was a little slow but things started picking up with week 2 and 3. Almost 8 hours on week 2 was a pretty good week of training including a race on Sunday at the Peachland 5km February Freezeup. At the race i personal best my time for 5km with a time in the 24minute range. I was feeling fairly happy with myself and wanted to keep the momentum going. Looking back, i should have had a day or two off after the race to let the body recover.
Week 3 started out well after the race with a few good long rides with a total of 5 hours of riding in two days. The week was looking like it was going to be one, well in the excess of 10 hours but nope, my body said no. Had i taken a day or two off after the race, maybe i could have allowed my bodies immune system to be a little stronger to fight off a cold that i ended up getting. So Week 3 ended up being only two days long with the rest of the week being spent laying in bed.
Week 4 has started off as the previous week finished but at least earlier today i was able to get out for a walk. Hopefully by the end of the week i can start getting out for a run or two which will allow me to start Next week, Base Phase 2, with a BANG and get in a good solid week. There will be no testing at the end of this week which i had actually planned for the end of the week but i will cautiously avoid the testing because of the cold and finish the week with basic aerobic work. Instead i will use the race from end of week 2 as a benchmark for future fitness especially the 5km run.
Basically, BP1 started quite slowly with the weather being cold and work, i wasn't able to get out for as many hours as i would have liked.
Week 1- I completed 4 hours and 12 minutes.
Week 2- 7 hours and 47 minutes
Week 3- 5 hours and 11 minutes.
Week 1 was a little slow but things started picking up with week 2 and 3. Almost 8 hours on week 2 was a pretty good week of training including a race on Sunday at the Peachland 5km February Freezeup. At the race i personal best my time for 5km with a time in the 24minute range. I was feeling fairly happy with myself and wanted to keep the momentum going. Looking back, i should have had a day or two off after the race to let the body recover.
Week 3 started out well after the race with a few good long rides with a total of 5 hours of riding in two days. The week was looking like it was going to be one, well in the excess of 10 hours but nope, my body said no. Had i taken a day or two off after the race, maybe i could have allowed my bodies immune system to be a little stronger to fight off a cold that i ended up getting. So Week 3 ended up being only two days long with the rest of the week being spent laying in bed.
Week 4 has started off as the previous week finished but at least earlier today i was able to get out for a walk. Hopefully by the end of the week i can start getting out for a run or two which will allow me to start Next week, Base Phase 2, with a BANG and get in a good solid week. There will be no testing at the end of this week which i had actually planned for the end of the week but i will cautiously avoid the testing because of the cold and finish the week with basic aerobic work. Instead i will use the race from end of week 2 as a benchmark for future fitness especially the 5km run.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Lost Moose Lodge
Took a ride up to the Lost Moose Lodge situated above Penticton. The road from Penticton heads in a vertical direction and just seems to keep on going all the way to the Lodge. I rode this knowing that it was going to be a solid ride and boy, i was not proven wrong. For 8km the road just seems to climb at an average grade of 8% which totals around 2050 ft of climbing. Today this took me roughly 1 and a half hours.
The way down is a lot quicker only taking me 15 minutes which is kind of lucky because my fingers were frozen by the time i got half way down the mountain.
This has been my biggest climb to date (626 metres/ 2050ft). I stopped a few times taking photos so no doubt in the future, i shall surpass the time i did today with a much better time. The mountain bike was the choice for today and it was probably the wise decision because the lower gear ratios allowed me to spin up the mountain rather then grind my way up the mountain like i would have on the road bike.
Strava - Looking for the Moose
The way down is a lot quicker only taking me 15 minutes which is kind of lucky because my fingers were frozen by the time i got half way down the mountain.
This has been my biggest climb to date (626 metres/ 2050ft). I stopped a few times taking photos so no doubt in the future, i shall surpass the time i did today with a much better time. The mountain bike was the choice for today and it was probably the wise decision because the lower gear ratios allowed me to spin up the mountain rather then grind my way up the mountain like i would have on the road bike.
Strava - Looking for the Moose
Monday, February 13, 2012
28 Take to Beach Ave. for February ‘Freeze Up’
My first race for 2012 was the February Freezeup 5km run in Peachland on the 12th of February. There were not many competitors in this race with about 6-8 runners. Overall i was fairly happy with my run, with my pacing being fairly good throughout the whole race. My pace was fairly strong throughout and i don't think i could have gone much faster without blowing myself up. According to the timekeepers, my time was 24 minutes 30 which is the target i was aiming for. Before the run, my target goal pace was to beat 25 minutes. I finished 4th overall. The fastest guy on the day finished in 19 minutes and a handful of seconds.
My next race will be the Penticton Lakeside Resort 5km fun run on March 4th. My goal time for this run will be 23 minutes but that may change over the next month of training. My overall goal is under 20 minutes for 5km then it will be time to move onto 10 km training. I think that the next race shall be a little tougher competitive wise but that might be a good thing as i will have a few more runners dragging me along the rode. The good thing about the run next month is that it is almost the same route i train on everyday and it will feel like just another training run and that i will feel confident in knowing where i can pick the pace up a little and where i should take it a bit easier.
Here you can see a photo of the start of the race on the Peachland News. I am there in the photo, number 182.
http://peachlandnews.com/blog/2012/02/12/28-take-to-beach-ave-for-february-freeze-up/
My next race will be the Penticton Lakeside Resort 5km fun run on March 4th. My goal time for this run will be 23 minutes but that may change over the next month of training. My overall goal is under 20 minutes for 5km then it will be time to move onto 10 km training. I think that the next race shall be a little tougher competitive wise but that might be a good thing as i will have a few more runners dragging me along the rode. The good thing about the run next month is that it is almost the same route i train on everyday and it will feel like just another training run and that i will feel confident in knowing where i can pick the pace up a little and where i should take it a bit easier.
Here you can see a photo of the start of the race on the Peachland News. I am there in the photo, number 182.
http://peachlandnews.com/blog/2012/02/12/28-take-to-beach-ave-for-february-freeze-up/
Monday, February 6, 2012
Week 5
First week of Base Phase 1.
I have been pretty consistent with getting out for a ride or run over the last month which has been great but my amount of time training has been lacking. According to my training plan, i was supposed to complete at least 7 hours a week during the Preparation phase but only managed to complete 4-5 hours per week. My first week of Base Phase 1 was meant to have 8 hours of training but only completed 4. I am not totally happy with this.
This is how my week went. I had Monday and Friday off.
Tuesday i spent 40 Minutes on the indoor trainer where i did a 4km time trial at LT. Wednesday i went for a 6.28km run. Thirsday was my best day with a ride and a run, while the weekend i did a couple of runs with some hill work on the Sunday.
This weeks plan is to complete 9 and a half hours which is a big step up from what i have been doing. Going to give it a try but at this time of year, i'm finding it hard to get the hours in. I might have to look at my training plan and do some reconsideration of how the hours look if i don't get anywhere near what the plan calls for.
I have been pretty consistent with getting out for a ride or run over the last month which has been great but my amount of time training has been lacking. According to my training plan, i was supposed to complete at least 7 hours a week during the Preparation phase but only managed to complete 4-5 hours per week. My first week of Base Phase 1 was meant to have 8 hours of training but only completed 4. I am not totally happy with this.
This is how my week went. I had Monday and Friday off.
Tuesday i spent 40 Minutes on the indoor trainer where i did a 4km time trial at LT. Wednesday i went for a 6.28km run. Thirsday was my best day with a ride and a run, while the weekend i did a couple of runs with some hill work on the Sunday.
This weeks plan is to complete 9 and a half hours which is a big step up from what i have been doing. Going to give it a try but at this time of year, i'm finding it hard to get the hours in. I might have to look at my training plan and do some reconsideration of how the hours look if i don't get anywhere near what the plan calls for.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
January Review
So January has come to a close already for 2012, Wow that was quick. For the Month of January, It was primarily Preparation Phase, which is all about getting the body ready for the upcoming year. I think i was heading in the right direction and will hopefully benefit from the work i have put in so far. The major thing for me to achieve was consistency which during Cold winter months is very hard to do. As you can see from below, i completed 29 total workouts in 31 days.
January Statistics
262 km Total
Run: 43.38 km (11 workouts) 5hr 14m
Spinning: 69.96 km (4 workouts) 3hr 33m
Cycling: 120km (6 workouts) 7 hr 16m
Hiking: 6.98km (2 workouts) 3hr 19m
Walking: 21.37km (6 workouts) 5hr 3m
Total Workouts: 29
Days Off: 8
Total Time: 24 hours 26 minutes
Cycling Total Ascension: 732 metres
Penticton, BC
Coldest Day of Month: 18th Jan - Max Temp: -13.4c, Min Temp: -16.1c, 6cm snow
Warmest Day: 5th Jan - Max Temp- 9.3c, Min Temp: -1.4c
Windiest Day: 24th Jan - Max Gust - 85km/h
Snow Amount: 24cm for the month
January Statistics
262 km Total
Run: 43.38 km (11 workouts) 5hr 14m
Spinning: 69.96 km (4 workouts) 3hr 33m
Cycling: 120km (6 workouts) 7 hr 16m
Hiking: 6.98km (2 workouts) 3hr 19m
Walking: 21.37km (6 workouts) 5hr 3m
Total Workouts: 29
Days Off: 8
Total Time: 24 hours 26 minutes
Cycling Total Ascension: 732 metres
Penticton, BC
Coldest Day of Month: 18th Jan - Max Temp: -13.4c, Min Temp: -16.1c, 6cm snow
Warmest Day: 5th Jan - Max Temp- 9.3c, Min Temp: -1.4c
Windiest Day: 24th Jan - Max Gust - 85km/h
Snow Amount: 24cm for the month
29th January 2012 - Bike Ride, Okanagan Falls, B.C, Canada
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Bald Eagle Sighting
After a run this morning, the weather warmed up, so i decided to take the opportunity to get out for a ride as well. Not sure why but i didn't bring my camera. I had my phone but it isn't as good as an actual camera. I've been riding long enough now that i should know to always bring my camera.
Today i happened upon a Bald Eagle sitting so close to us, that i'm sure he could see my eyes dilate from the excitement. I did happen to get some decent photos of the Eagle which wasn't too bad. After sitting for a while to watch and enjoy, i continued on to Okanagan Falls where i took Mclean Creek Rd and saw for the first time, Californian Big Horn Sheep. These guys were further away and would have been great to have had a camera.
Todays Ride-
44 kms
2 hours 24 minutes
Check it out on Endomondo or Strava
Today i happened upon a Bald Eagle sitting so close to us, that i'm sure he could see my eyes dilate from the excitement. I did happen to get some decent photos of the Eagle which wasn't too bad. After sitting for a while to watch and enjoy, i continued on to Okanagan Falls where i took Mclean Creek Rd and saw for the first time, Californian Big Horn Sheep. These guys were further away and would have been great to have had a camera.
Todays Ride-
44 kms
2 hours 24 minutes
Check it out on Endomondo or Strava
Another one
Found another Geocache on todays run. A quick search on the Geocache site found that a cache that went missing had been replaced so i took a run to go see if i could find it. Had a look around and found it. Didn't have a pen with me, totally forgot it, so i will sign it next time i'm down by the Rose Garden.
A quick overview of Geocaching from the Penticton Cycling Club.
A quick overview of Geocaching from the Penticton Cycling Club.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
GeoCache
Today I went for a look for some GeoCaches in the area and found 1 out of 4 that i looked for.
Fuzzy 56, Fuzzy Lakawana and Fuzzy SOEC were the caches that i couldn't find today. Hopefully i get them next time.
The one i did find was
Bridge to Ikeda
N 49° 30.225 W 119° 35.472
Link: Geocaching.com
Found it! - January 28th 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
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