Time trialling with Formula 1 tactics.

It gives some, it takes some. Yesterday, however, it seemed to take little bit more than some. It was the time trial nats over a rolling course of 45kms. I felt pretty ok the whole day and felt that the extreme addition of carbs had changed my legs at least a bit. Despite that, I started cautiously as I wasn't quite sure how it will turn out.

Eventually my slow start was pretty good to the turn around. Then I was kinda counting kilometres to get going on the last ten miles – at least that was my mind set. Then became the problems with my bike. Nothing lifts the spirit like three dropped chains in time trial race. I count it to some extent as bad luck as the bike was perfectly fine in the shakedown and warm-up. Yet I was forced to use the tactics applied by Red Bull and other F1 one teams, except I didn't change any parts. Another difference seems to be that in the F1, three stop tactics seems to work, but in time trialling – it definitely doesn't. Bullshit, some might say and well, so did I. I lost quite some time, but that didn't cost me a medal at the end, but some places it did. I finished 15^th. Still I decided to finish and for a great surprise I happened to fit in to the team winning the team competition, which was a lucky end to a quite dull day.

Despite all the issues my performance was fairly alright. I felt good all the way. However, there is one thing that bogs me. I'm riding my bike with ease at the moment. I just can't get it all out. I somehow can't get a sick feeling of going fast. The efforts are steady, but submaximal at this point. It is a shame, but there are things we can do about it. We are working on that and on the chain problem as well.

Tomorrow is a race day again. Road nationals this time. Having seen the course, I feel the race is gonna fairly nervy until the main contenders start to make moves. We will see about that then! But first things first – I'm feeling well good today, submaximal time trial you know - so I think I just might start waking and working my maximals already today.

Rest and get better?

After the second trip to Sweden I took couple days of recovery to get somehow set for the racing weekend at Kauhajoki consisting of 20km time trial and 142 road race. I had a pretty decent feeling, but it didn't quite transfer to my riding and it was disappointing at first hand.

In the time trial my power was down, or maybe I should say not on the level I expected or presumed. Now the magical word here is 'expected'. What did I actually expect and why? There is absolutely no reason to expect anything before, there should only be a plan to be completed. Learning point number one.

Still, the power was down to normal and there symptoms that I didn't perform at my level. The next day I rode a decent road race being active the whole way and then missing the break. I guess that happens more often than finding the right break. However, this time I had no expectations whatsoever. There might just be something in there. For it being only psychological, I dared to disagree. We (or more my father) did analyse the rides and loads of other data to find out, actually, what is going on. The data told us things that I would count as learning points from number two to number x. There were some things directly related to my riding or how I should ride.

The main point still was in my training regime. We take HRV-samples every morning to follow my recovery and ultimately avoid overtraining. One measure is the relationship of LF and HF and those numbers put on a diagram showed that I'm not really quite sure what I'm talking about now. In a scale from total wilderness to complete understanding, I'm somewhere in the middle, I guess (or hope). Anyway, there was indications that I had not recovered sufficiently from my previous performances and maybe therefore, I lacked in my performances. The conclusion was that before the road nationals next weekend and U6 Cycle Tour a week from that, we put more emphasis on quality training and quality resting to maybe hit some form some time during peak period. As a matter of fact, if this is the case – temporary overload – it should be good. From now on intense workouts with enough rest could really bring some form for the peak period. It still remains to be seen. Thumbs up, that we are right.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to race in the nationals next weekend in Pori and after that I'm eager to find some form for U6 Cycle Tour in Tidaholm, Sweden.

Swedish Tour, Vol. 2

The plan was to start four times in five day – which I did. The plan was to ride my legs off – which I did. The plan was today to get to breakaway – which I did not.

Wednesday was a day for Smack-serien time trial over 23km in such a beautiful but tricky course. I mean up and down all the time. The race was pretty good for me, despite the dropped chain. Composed ride and good feeling. The power was there...ish. You know, you are never quite happy with the power numbers. Anyway, it was good day on bike.

TT at Skokloster.

Thursday was active recovery and some adjusting and tweaking on my aero position, which seemed to improve by photos and later it was kind of proven also in action. However, there is still more tweaking to come as this trip has triggered some more thoughts to be tested.

On Friday morning I went for an hour long easy spin before the night race on Arlanda Test Track. I felt pretty good already in the morning and come evening it was bad either. The track was simply cool: closed traffic, tight turns and so on. I really did like it, eventhough someone maybe is surprised to hear me liking a criterium type race. The race itself was quickly over. Twelve laps on the short course in 36 odd minutes eqaulled average speed somewhere between 45 and 46. I ended 32^nd in the bunch sprint finish and happily checked the data. Not a bad day at all.

Arlanda Test Track

Saturday was just another time trial day, except I had apparently left my legs at Arlanda the evening before. The 25km course was another hillyish one and I had it pretty well until halfway and then started dying, dying dying. Watch power numbers and dying at the same time definitely is not the most effective nor encouraging way to ride against the clock. Lesson learned. At the finish I was certain that I had sucked, but seeing the results and my average speed – it wasn't that bad afterall, if we let alone the power numbers. And it told me something: my position is pretty much working.

Dybeckstempo

Today, I had Falkenloppet on the list. Twelve times 10km lap started practically flat out from the first bend and by the end of the first two kilometres I knew I had no legs whatsoever. The feeling kept going on until eight or ninth lap, after which the breakaway (actually breakaways) was long gone. So I rolled with the main bunch and had a good training session.

Before the start

Tyhjäpuntti.

Now, that I checked the data, I'm sure I got what I wanted. I'm tired. Recovery time. Good night.