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Training Back to Normal
Related: bike fit, calorie deficit, Everest Challenge, hard core, hunger, training
I wrote a few days ago about minor training setbacks (which psychologically can be harder than that when pressed for training time!)
This week has gone fairly well, and while my fitness is steadily improving I cannot seem to find any saddle without one comfort problem or another: pelvic tilt with straight back (for proper bike fit and power) tend to make my bike shorts chafe. Other seats block that tilt. Another issue is too much hand pressure, but if I move the seat even 5mm the hands are better but the pedal stroke suffers. ARGGGGGGGGG!!!! I’d tear my hair out if I had much left.
As for the bike short discomfort, I am contemplating trying other bike shorts or even a bib short: for years I have ridden the top grade Pearl Izumi shorts and never ever had a comfort issue. But it seems that with pelvic rotation the shorts grab on the wider seat somehow, and become uncomfortable. A different saddle or saddle shape might help, but this is complicated by having very wide seat bones (135/140mm saddles definitely too narrow, 155mm about right)—saddle choices are much restricted in the wider range especially for light weight and those that don’t block pelvic rotation. Certain women’s saddles might work. But this is a long-term project and I have about 10 days to decide. So probably it will be a “pain” (literally) one way or another for the Everest Challenge.
As for endurance, this remains a big concern as my legs are not adapted to the new bike fit (I still get sore legs). Without a doubt this will not be as fast as last year: lower endurance and higher body weight are a bad combo. I just hope to finish at some reasonably consistent pace, and I will make sure I am well-acclimated to altitude and really well rested prior. And I will have to take the attitude of not hoping for 3rd or 5th or even 10th place, but rather seeing it as preparation for a fully-fit 2014 best-ever finish after a long training season. Sometimes there are pleasant surprises, and I can always keep a positive attitude in that regard too!
Sample workout below— two ascents of Old La Honda Rd. See also personal best for Old La Honda Rd.
Red line is heart rate (bad signal at start of 1st ascent), green is power output (watts). Click to view larger.
