Operation Mountain Goat: Week 4 recap

Going for it! That's I what I did this weekend. I knocked out a BIG week on the bike (for me any way), and feel great and also got in some solid run miles. The swim was down a bit due some scheduling issues and travel but I plan on getting some good yards this week as I cut bike and run volume a bit in preparation for Xterra Snow Valley on Sunday.

Cody wanted me to log some serious miles on the bike this weekend and I was ready. My last really long ride a couple of weeks ago didn't go so well and one of the main reasons is that I hit it solo. So for Saturday called upon Luke... he's always down and is getting mega strong on the bike. So I spent the week coming up with a 100 mile route with plenty of climbing. I am really enjoying exploring new roads/routes right now. Today I rode Lilac road for the first time and it was killer. Good climbing, fun descents, and very little traffic. There is so much good riding out here, but I have never really taken the time to check it all out until now.



I rode up to Carlsbad (about 10 miles) to meet Luke at 8am and we were on it. I was feeling really good from the start and that lasted throughout the ride. I kept up steady stream of calories and really never started to fade (thank you PowerBar!). We got in a lot of miles with plenty of climbing, heat, and head wind. I kind of messed with Luke when I planned the route. At the 95 mile mark (85 for Luke) we hit Twin Valley Oaks road. This is where I do my hill repeats. So with almost 100 miles in our legs we had tackle a steep 12 minute climb into a headwind! Good times for sure and like I told Luke right before the ride ended... I could have easily kept going and couldn't really believe how good I still felt. Tired for sure but still strong.

Stats from the ride.
Duration: 6:18
Distance: 101.85 miles
Work/Cals: 3320 kJ
Normal Power: 182 watts
avg HR: 142 bpm

sweet graph.


After the ride I was pretty beat. Beth and I lounged by the pool (as usual) for a bit and hit up El Caribe and the Yogurt Shack with my sister. I was in bed just after 9:30pm and crashed.

Sunday was an early wake-up to head down to watch Beth race the Solana Beach Triathlon. This is a killer local event that brings out a lot of people. I won my age group at this race in '06 & '07 but decided not to race this weekend and focus on my training. I definitely made the right call and had a blast hanging out and rooting for everyone. Beth had another good one.


Right after she crossed the line I set out on my long run through San Elijo Lagoon and San Dieguito Park. A great route with some sneaky climbing. It took a little while to settle into the run... I guess riding 100+ miles the day before will do that to you. 90+ minutes later I was back and just in time to snap a couple of photos of Beth and some friends on the podium.

i ran.


I was pretty beat after the run. I was planning on heading out on the bike right after I got home, but I opted for a nap. Later in the afternoon I head out on the bike for some recovery miles and felt good.

I have just completed the 4 big weeks of base training. It has definitely been highest bike volume block I have ever done and I am seeing and feeling the benefits. I am pretty beat right but a lighter week this week will take care of that.

I can't wait to race next weekend up in Snow Valley!