Base I Recap (Weeks 5-8)

PHOTO OF THE MONTH: OFTEN TIMES LIFE IS NOTHING MORE THAN
A TWISTED WEB OF DECEIT, LIES AND HYPOCRISY.

What I did: Four weeks of level 2 solo rides, all at endurance pace with a few short tempo intervals into the wind thrown in. I rode more in my big ring after basically ignoring it for the first six weeks. I stretched my longest ride to 3 1/2 hours. My economy has improved, I've burned a lot of fat and now am ready to tackle Base 2 and the longer tempo rides and added force work. 


Total miles: 846


Total hours: 51.5


Weight: 131 pounds (59.5 kilos)


FTP: 226 watts


FTP/weight: 3.80


CTL: 65.7


Wallets found on the roadway and turned into the police: 1


Thoughts from the saddle: Contacted a virus a couple weeks ago that kept me off the bike a few days. ... One of the best things I appreciate about cycling and training is that when things go wrong in your life, you have an outlet to try and work out your problems and even take out your anger. Without going into details, I've needed that outlet recently. ... My FTP increased 3.6 percent (from 218 watts). ... I continue to make progress off-road at Markham. I'm riding all the trails (two laps, 17.8 miles) and doing it while staying aerobic. Even the short steeps are not stinging me. My speeds (between 10.5-10.8 mph) have been inching upward even though I'm not trying to go faster; it's happening naturally. Of course, the weather is still fairly mild out there. When the worm turns in the next month or two and the temps and humidity skyrocket, I'll likely see those speeds hold or go down. ... Beginning this week, I'll add a group ride on Saturdays. The one I'm thinking of doing, organized by an LBS owner, will fit my needs perfectly. Supposedly, it's tame and devoid of hammerheads out to inflict pain and suffering. There's a place for those rides; just not now. I'm planning on stretching that day's ride to four hours (riding solo before and afterward).