2x 15 mins threshold on the Trek

More biking this afternoon. Again, the Trek is a lovely ride, but the position puts new strains on my legs – the upper quads are particularly sore after about 45 mins. I’ve put the nose down a bit, but I think I need to put it down even further – it still pinches at my perineum after about 45 mins.

I think I might bring the handlebars up the stem a bit, release my hip angle a wee bit. I’m cautious of my knees hitting my elbows, particularly as the stem angle is fairly raked back, but I think it brings it up enough to be out of the way. I need to consult with Graeme.

2x 15 min threshold by tom.fardon at Garmin Connect – Details.

I really need a day off tomorrow.

Aerobic Threshold Bike

Back on the Turbo, but this time on the new Trek.

I’ve got used to being on the Kuota – it’s a nice fit for me, comfortable, easy to spin the pedals, get the cadence up, and keep moving pretty rapidly. Now I’m onto a full on TT bike, so my aero position should speed me up on the open road, but it doesn’t help much on the turbo!

I was expecting it to be different, but not as different as it actually was. The position is nice and aero, it’s compact, and it feels comfortable at the front end. But the hip angle is so much smaller it puts completely different stress on completely different muscles. Mainly it’s the upper quads that felt the stress today – very sore by the end of the threshold sessions.

The biggest problem is the nose of the saddle, though. It’s a bulky thing, with a heavily padded nose, presumably to give a nice cushion for long rides, but it’s too bulky and after about 40 minutes started really digging into the perineum. I think I’ll have to put the nose down a bit.

Sitting forward for so long is not as sore as I thought it might be. I suspect the position needs some tweaking, and I need some time to settle into it.

I’ve worried a bit about the bike being a smudge too small, but having looked at photos of professional triathletes, I think it’s actually spot on. The pros do say, if you’re between two sizes, go for the smaller one…..

This morning, on the way back from the run, Evans phoned me to tell me that the QR is ready for me to have a shot on in Glasgow. Oops. They gave me back my deposit without any hassle which was good….

Back on the bike tomorrow, and another run, I think.

Aerobic Threshold Bike by tom.fardon at Garmin Connect – Details.

New Bike.

A morning off work to go down to Edinburgh to pick up the new bike. I stopped off at Rosyth station to pick up PW; he was along for the ride to pick up the new kit, and shoot the shit.

Traffic into Edinburgh was madness – every time I drive into Edinburgh reminds me of why I left the place, and I don’t want to go back. Madness. But it does have a great Triathlon shop, and it’s next to Peckham’s deli.

When we got there it was ready, but i asked them to put my cycleops power tap wheel on, thinking they’d be better at it than me. I can change cassettes over now, but they’re the experts. They swapped everything around whilst PW and I went to Peckham’s for crazy chat and a very nice Root Beer and pain au chocolate. The cycleops wheel is fatter than a standard rim (I discovered this when I swapped it on to the Kuota instead of the Aksiums – the brakes needed shifting out a waaaay bit). This caused them a fair bit of bother – the rear brake on the Trek is beneath the bottom bracket, so it’s a faff changing anything. The did it, though. So thanks to them.

I got them to put in the integrated speed/cadence monitor, which is a far neater solution than the Garmin add on. Weirdly there was no magnet to put on a spoke, but they’re sending me one.

It fits nicely in the back of the car – which the Kuota doesn’t do easily. I would never have chosen the medium without the advice from Stu.

Got it home, onto the turbo and…. no training tonight. Just some functional exercises, basic and advanced gluteus, some calf raises and some stretches. First shot on the bike tomorrow.

Set up and ready to go

Tempo run.

This is a great lesson in Fardon household rule #1. RTFM – read the fucking manual. I *thought* the training plan said 50 minutes of tempo run, 4:30 to 4:40 per km. So I set off on what I knew was going to be a tough run – 50 minutes of pretty quick half marathon pace, and very quick marathon pace. 7:12 minute miles means a sub 3:10 marathon….

I wore the Inov-8s again, the Roclite 285s, mainly because it was a bit damp underfoot. They’re lighter, and they’re easy to run in, but I still get sore calves after running in them. It’s easing off, with each run, though.

The run *was* tough. I went on the usual route, but instead of coming up from the Airport to the Invercarse, I carried on and went along to Invergowrie and went through the underpass and up back up to the roundabout by A&E, and back the usual route.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/130320331

The first part is fine, nice and flat, but the way home is always uphill, so always a pech. Interestingly I went through 10K at 44 mins, which is faster than I did the Edinburgh 10K a couple of months ago, and I carried on to do a few more K. The total was about an hour. When I got back, it turns out I was meant to do a 50 min run, with 20 mins of tempo in the middle. RTFM.

I’m starting to actually enjoy the running now. In fact, at the moment I would say it’s my favourite of the three disciplines, as I feel it’s the one I’m making biggest inroads into. By next week, hopefully I’ll be more into cycling, what with the new bike, and everything.

I’ve been looking at the new bike – the frame set really is great. The same frame is on the 7.0, 7.2, 7.5 and 7.8. The only difference is the group set, and the wheels. I don’t really care so much about the group set – particularly on a TT bike. I *do* care about the wheels though, and the 7.0 comes with crud wheels. So with the spare money I “gain” by buying the cheaper bike, I can put that money, and the next couple of locums, and talks, towards a really nice pair of aero wheels. Not sure I’ll stump up for a pair of Zipps, but maybe some Dura Ace Aero wheels? Or there’s the Easton EC90s, if I can find some in a sale…. Next year, I suspect. Maybe in time for birthdays.

The Tri Centre phoned to tell me that Madison have sent a strange chain set – a 50/39, rather than the 53/39 double. A 50/39 seems particularly weird – worst of both worlds, with no top end speed, and no bottom end for climbing. So they’ve sent it back, and they should get me a double, hopefully for tomorrow afternoon….

New Bike? Me? In this climate?

After taking SurferSam5 back to Edinburger this morning I was then at a loose end for a bit, so I went to the Tri Centre. The guys in there are very good – knowledgable, accommodating, amenable, and all that. It was quiet, so they offered me a free fitting downstairs, and then chat about tri bikes. Weirdly I was about 2cm taller when they measured me compared with when I was measured up in Bridge of Allen. And the computer rejected my arm length – apparently I’m too orang-utan for the algorithm. The computer reckons I’m a XL frame size, but Stuart figured a L would be more like it, from experience.

He recommended a Trek Speed Concept, which is one on the shortlist from yesterday. He only had a medium in the shop, but we figured it was worth having a sit on it, just to see. Once I hopped on and got onto the bars, Stuart very quickly said it was a great fit. It actually felt pretty “locked in”, as they say in the magazines, with 90 degree shoulders and elbows, compared with the open angles I get on the clip ons on the Kuota.

The New Wheels...

So, the medium seemed to be a great fit. We looked at the geometry and decided to put on a longer stem to give me a bit more reach, and keep my knees away from my elbows. It also has a compact chainset, which is not ideal, as I have a double on the Kuota, and want to keep going with it. It’s an Apex rear mech, so I have loads of gears on the back end to go through – WiLiFi, they say. So they’ve agreed to get hold of a double – 105, probably. So I decided not to take it home with me, and head home and wait for the double to be fitted, and the new longer stem. I have a day off on Wednesday, so I can come down and pick it up then.

Back at home, and time for some training. Today, a brick session.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/129909183 Tempo cycle.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/129909188 Transition.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/129909189 10 minute race pace run. The Garmin went a bit screwy for the first bit, so who knows what went on, but it was nice to run off the bike. Although the Monikie Duathlon will be cycle off the run.

Looking forward to picking up the bike on Wednesday!

A New Bike? Another one?

The training is going really well. I’m feeling stronger every week, my times are getting better, I can do more work with more reserve, I’m injury free at the moment, I can cope with 10 hours a week of truing, and, if anything, I want to do more. I’m not quite becoming obsessional about it. OK, I am totally becoming obsessional about it, but I feel like I’m getting a lot out of it, much like the swimming last year. Every time I train I feel stronger, faster, and, I suppose, enthused and happier.

So, obviously I’m now thinking about new kit. And new kit means a new bike. TT bike. Do I need one? Probably not – I could put the tri bars on the Kuota, and put the saddle forwards, drop the stem, change the stem length, jigger and poker around, but ultimately the Kuota is a race bike with race bike geometry, and it’s a fudge. If I want to do longer distances, and the aim is to do the Aberfeldy Half Iron man this year coming, then I’ll need something comfortable, and something properly aero, and something that is actually a tri bike.

But should I buy something now, or wait until the New Year? And how much to spend? Graeme is of the school of thought to max out the credit card and get the best thing I can. I am of the mind that that is madness, and best avoided. So I’ve saved up about £2K, and it’s a good time of year to buy a an end of year 2011 bike….

This is the best deal I’ve found so far:

Deal of the season?

I wouldn’t have put a Quintana Roo at the top of my short list of bikes, but then, they are proven, used by many a pro, and the latest reviews in Triathlon Plus suggest that they are still, but comfortable, and suitable for longer races. I’m never going to be a speed demon on the bike, so the aim for me is to be comfortable, get round efficiently, and leave enough in the tank for a good run. So perhaps the QR is the business, then? The CD0.1 is their top end frame, with this version having the same spec frame as their top of the range Dura Ace version, but with slightly lesser spec, notably the wheels. I’ll need some decent race wheels eventually, but the frame on this is good and worth a punt at £1K off, I reckon.

Graeme has a Trek 9.0, so he reckons I should check out the Trek 7.5, which I can have a look at at the Edinburgh Tri Centre tomorrow. I’ve spoken with the manager at Evans in Braehead to see about getting the QR up for me to have a shot on. The only fly in the ointment is the fact that it only comes in a frame suitable for “up to 183cm”, and I’m apparently 184.2 cm in my stocking feet, according to the custom fit I had done this year. Everyone says that if you are between two frame sizes, get the smaller one, so perhaps it’ll be fine.

I’ve paid the refundable deposit on the QR, and they will get it up to the shop in Braehead this week, apparently.

If I do get this one, the Aeron has to go – I’ll have to find it a new home. I might have temped PW into it, in the New Year. I can store it here in the meantime, of course.

Exciting times. If I do get it, I’ll have to use it for 400 hours, or about 7500 miles until I can think about getting an upgrade.

If only Pfizer would hurry up and pay me for those outstanding talks, could actually afford to buy it…

Or I could wait, and get that Ridley Dean RS, after all…