Team MWC, FTJ, NGT

November 2006 - Posts

• Training update

  Sorry there hasn't been much activity here. There just isn't that much going on. I'm taking a little break from the obsessive cycling mindset and just following my strength training in roboto mode with a few rides here/there just to spin the legs. I finished the first 2 weeks of hypetrophy. And I just started a 2 week cycle of strength. It always amazes me how doable, dare I say easy, the strength phase seems. When I fill ou… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 30 2006, 11:09 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Great weather

  The weather has been amazing up here. 60s this weekend. Sunny and 60s and it is almost December. We went to Pipestem state park for the weekend. We love that place. Lots of fun things to do with the kids. They have some trails up there an have had races there. The trails aren't super pristine single track but I like it. Though some parts of utterly destroyed from horses. It boogles my mind how badly horses can destroy a trail… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 26 2006, 11:08 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Hungry Mother State Park Race: Fall Fear

  Two weeks ago we went down to Hungry Mother State Park south of here near Marion, VA. This is a small local race that was actually cancelled earlier this year. But a local rider felt strongly enough that it should continue that he took it upon himself to pull it together. Now that is some mountain bike racing love. He was expecting 10 people and he got almost 40. They ran out of … Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 26 2006, 09:59 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• miscalculation in weights

  So I started my Hypetrophy phase yesterday. I wrote a spreadsheet to help organize the Morris lifting program. Each phase's weights are calculated off of 1 rep maxes. I was going to use what I'd entered last year and adjust as necessary. The first day of hypetrophy is always a little shock even after the 3 weeks of transition lifting. But it did feel a little harder than in the past. Then I reali… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 18 2006, 12:05 AM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Slightly OT (off topic)

  This is pretty far off the topic of cycling / mtb racing. But I'm not going to let that keep me from making many off the wall analogies to mtb racing. Lately I've been feeling the itch to make something. For a long while I've been really focused on cycling which ranges from training, resting to working on bikes. I quite enjoy getting absorbed into the working on bikes. But it's not the same as making something. I really get a … Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 15 2006, 02:23 AM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Strength training coming up

  I'm almost done with my transition lifting. It's been more than 3 weeks of some easy lifting. I slowly work up to 4 sets still at some light weights. I only got really sore at the beginning. Hypetrophy is the first phase of strength training. It is a killer. 6 sets 8-12 reps. It just torches the legs. I'm not going to follow the same pl… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 15 2006, 01:06 AM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Fall Fear Bike Race: Hungry Mother State Park Sat-Nov 18th

  Just got word of a local race down at Hungry Mother State Park. This is an awesome place. It's about 1 hr south of Blacksburg right off I-81. We got a cabin there for Thanksgiving last year and didn't realize that all the food would be closed after noon. We ended up eating Sonic Drivethrough an… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 10 2006, 11:40 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Trials practice

  Nice sunny day. Haven't been in the bike in more than a week. Saw an email about a group ride run by Nathan through the NRVBA. My wife rode with them the other week and said it was a lot of fun, so I figured I'd try to get out. My have is a little better, but it's still soar. I probably shouldn't be mountain biking but just couldn't help it. I didn't do much, but it really wore me out. We climbed Old Farm then went down sidewinder to the … Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 10 2006, 01:59 AM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Forgeting to put out the trash.

  My wife and older son went to Chicago for 4 days to visit her brother. I've been home with the other kid. I'm sitting here checking emails for work this morning and the garbage truck goes by. Without our trash on the street. Missed the boat on that one. I must say that I don't know how my wife does it. How she runs this ship of daily life. My world swirls with all the tiny minutiae you see presented here. From small tweaks to components to the smallest detail of carbohydr… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 07 2006, 01:36 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Azure Suspension setup tips

  Here are some thoughts for setting your DW-link suspension bike. This is based on my experience with the Hollowpoint and Azure. It may be applicable to other bikes. I'm not sure if this is the 'right way' but at least it's a methodology that you can start with. Overview: Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 03 2006, 08:40 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• SW VA grass roots racing in November

  Bare bones mountain cross series in Roanoke County November 12th and 19th. Not sure I'll be there for the first one as I might be working. Might make the 2nd one. Put it on your calendar if you're looking for some low key, grassroots fun racing. Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 03 2006, 07:40 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Chilling

  My back is feeling much better. I got some great advice from some well wishers. Basically, Ibuprofen or alleve and rest. Bike riding is as long as it doesn't hurt though roadriding might be better than mountain biking. Even though it isn't hurting as much I'm going to take it easy for several days. After alternating lifting and riding the last two weeks, doing nothing feels quite drastic. It got cold again here, so I'm not itching to get … Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 03 2006, 06:34 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• immobilized

  No clue how I did it, but I pulled something in my back. middle back on the left side. I think I did it doing some twists with a medicine ball. Basically, I had a ball and was twisting side to side slowly, and only like 4 times. I mean like nothing at all. Or I might have done it just pulling up on the bar of the bike to coast… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 02 2006, 03:29 PM by ashwinearl with no comments

• Team Kit?

  So I'm thinking about starting my own cycling team. If your interested post a comment below just so I can gauge if anyone is into this. I need at least 9 other people to buy a jersey to make the minimum. Team MWC FTJ NGT naturally. Get jersey's, shorts, other kit made. Anyone could join as long as you meet some basic qualifications. Specifically, married (or partnered) with children, Full time job or at leas… Read Full Post Here Technorati Tags: Cycling, Mountain Biking Posted Nov 01 2006, 03:34 AM by ashwinearl with no comments