"Hey Zach, What's going on?"

Well let me start off by saying that I've been trying my best to keep things rolling as the new year starts to get some age into its skin. I've been clocking time on "the bike that does not move" and been trying my best to get out into the sun when it's not too cold.

But how cold is too cold? Here lately it has been anything under 35F. Yes, I know that in December I braved 16F, but I've come to realize that I can control my workout so much better when I'm on the trainer. 

This is my typical Weeknight Trainer Workout set up.

So I've been completing  all of my week night rides on my trusty wind trainer. But there are issues with the trainer I have. For one I have to start my ride before 5pm to insure I complete my rides before my neighbors get home at 6pm. The most annoying thing about the wind trainer (in combination with my current gearing) is that as I'm getting stronger, it becomes harder (if not imposable) to get the resistance I'm looking for. O well, First World Issues.

I can say, without a doubt, that I'm currently more focused on improving my fitness than I've ever been. This includes my time training for the "Junior Olympics" in Judo. (There may be just a handful of people who know how scary that actually is) I've been getting my workouts in on a regular biases, I've started to clean up my diet, and I'm starting to get to bed early enough to get in 9 hr of sleep. I'm enjoying the struggle and the fitness gains I'm starting to see. I'm about a month away from kicking off my session and I am looking forward to having a packed March/April.

There have been 2 rides of note during this new year. You remember me saying that I rode for 21hr over 8 day with only 5 rides. Well I really did get in that much time, during the time of the year that most people are enjoying time with their families and getting fat. I knew it would take a toll on me, but I did not know how long it would take me to recover to a "normal" state. I took 5 days off the bike before getting back into training. I felt fine during my "weekday rides of no movement" and thought I was fully recovered on that Saturday.

Well that was not true, as I found out in a very painful way. I decided to do the TBR Saturday ride and quickly realized that my fatigue was on a much deeper level that had I realized. As soon as we left town I was struggling just to stay in the draft. What was going on?  It only took 15 mins and my HR was way over my LT, my legs and lungs where burning and I started having cold sweets. Not a good sign. My legs were not tired in a normal since, it was a DEAP stress like I've never experienced. It felt like my bones where hurting, the muscles down deep by the bones where still overly stressed.

Hurting bad up a hill early on the ride. Thanks Robin for the Photo.

Some-how I stuck with the group (we had a few regroups) and I started to feel allot better. I actually started to feel "normal" during the last 45 min of the ride. Boy what a relief.

One of the many regroups. Again, Thanks Robin for the Photo.

The next day I woke up sick, probably the most sick I've been since I moved to NWA. I knew it was time for a brake and took the day off. It took me a long time to do anything more than lay on the couch, even then it was little more than doing a load of laundry. 

Flash forward a week and I got invited to the most elite MTB group ride I've ever been on. I was worried that the same deep, lingering stress would slow me down. Well it was not too big of an issue on this ride. Yes I could feel the stress in my legs, but it did not slow me down this time. As we took off, I quickly realized that this was going to be a fast hard ride. I was playing jump-rope with my LT HR right from the start. After about an hr, my body started to come around. I was no longer off the back into no mans land., instead I was having to give myself space to see and react to the trail as the person in front of me cleared objects. After 2 hr of riding the group called it quits, I had something left in the tank, but felt like I had just finished a XC race in the heat!

Having fun between the rocks!

Then Sunday, Heath took me out to Lake Leatherwood. Man, those trails are so awesome!  We took it easy, but looking at Strava we were still moving along at a good clip. After 4 hr on the trails it was time to call it a weekend. Just last month, a weekend like this would not be possible. One hard ride a week was all I could handle. Now I'm able to put out high power for those short rides, and still be able to do a good, quick endurance ride the next day.

Almost home! Just one more down hill!

To me, I see that as results! Big results in small ways, but everything should add up to a fast, fun, and jam packed year of racing.   

BTW if you want to keep track of the rides the fast people in Fayetteville are doing go check out Robin's Blog.

As always I just need to Ride More, Ride Harder, and Get Faster.