Threshold training

Quick update tonight.  Just finished a workout.  I want to get to bed, so I can get up and ride to work in the morning.

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days.  I haven't really done much interesting, so there really wasn't anything to say.  I did a couple rides this weekend, but haven't ridden this week, until this evening.

Last week was great.  I rode to work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Then on Saturday, I did a fun ride with the kiddos.  I pulled Connor on the trail-a-bike, and Caitlin rode her own bike.  We did about 12 miles, with a playground stop in the middle.  Then on Saturday, I got in a good 40-mile ride with the Lifetime Fitness cycle club.  Technically, it's a club ride, but the last few times, it's basically been me and one other guy jumping ahead and riding by ourselves the whole time.  We don't talk much, but he seems to be right at about my level of riding, and we push each other pretty well.  This weekend, we did a 40 mile route with an average speed of a little over 20 mph, which is pretty good for me.  Looks like the rest of the group averaged about 17 mph.

Planning to ride to work tomorrow, but will have to drive again on Friday.  Not sure what I'm going to be able to do this weekend.  We have a lot of stuff planned, between swimming lessons, football equipment pickup, and a gymnastics show, plus getting ready to send the kids on vacation back to Ohio.  Hoping I can squeeze in some riding.

Here is some stuff I've done since my last post:

• Thursday - ride to work.  27 mile round trip.
• Friday - ride to work.  27 mile round trip
• Friday - quick run around the school.  I was going to have Connor with me for the first lap, Caitlin for the first couple laps, and keep running by myself for a while, while they played on the playground.  But Connor saw one of his friends at baseball practice, and only did about 1/2-lap.  And Caitlin ended up doing about 1 lap.  Then I just did one more by myself, and we all went home.

• Saturday - 1,400 meters in the lap pool at Lifetime Fitness.
• Saturday - 12 mile ride with the kids

• Sunday - 40 mile ride with Lifetime Fitness

• Today - Ride on the trainer after dinner.  Spinervals 32.0 - Extreme Threshold Training.  Looks like I've only done this workout once before, back in February.  My results were about the same today as they were then.  I could have done better, but my left calf started cramping up pretty bad about 3/4 of the way through the workout, so I had to take it easy for about the last 10-15 minutes.  I need to read up on what causes that kind of cramping, and see what I can do to prevent it in the future.  This is a seriously hard workout.  Really high heart rate, and lot of power.  A really good workout for raising your anaerobic threshold, and to prepare for something like a time trial.

And finally, a big congratulations to local pro Taylor Phinney, for rocking Stage 4 of the Tour of Poland!  A time trial specialist, this was his first road race win as a professional.  And he did it in stunning fashion.  That was pretty awesome.