Last week I received my new Selle Italia Saddle and Thomson Masterpiece seatpost but it was 105 in the shade hence little opportunity to try them out for real. The weather cut us a break this weekend and I was able to take the Wabi out for a few hill sprints.
My posterior is happy to report an increase in comfort and ventilation from the new saddle, while the gorgeous machined seatpost enables me to really dial in the riding position. I chose to go for a post with no setback because my arms are long compared to my femurs and it really does slot you in nicely to a more aggressive riding position.
While I’m not a total weight weenie, it is nice to just be shading under 15lbs for a ride that cost $700 stock. The wheels, hubs, cranks are all still stock but I won’t be replacing / upgrading any of these until they fall apart. I need my commuter to be bombproof! Once again I have to give large respect to Wabi for making such a superb fixie.
Yes, that’s sweat. From one of the routines on the “Recovery” week. What a great workout. It’s as hard as you want to make it, folks.. No easy workouts!
core synergistics... and.. rest... or cycle to work
Ordered a new carbon fiber stem, aero base bars and tt brake levers tonight. Very excite, sexy time. At the same time I’ll kill the rear brake off the Wabi Lightning and save even more weight. I can’t wait to see what the build looks like with all the pieces on. While I’m keeping the front brake on a fixie which most purists will sneer at, I would challenge them to ride my commute brakeless. Using your legs to stop is all fine and dandy on the NYC flats, but trying to stop at 35mph down a hill when a car pulls out in front of you is completely another matter.
I’ll just have to make sure I get the components on my bike before I eat them all in their lusciousness.. Mmm, carbon fiber.. nomnomnom! Arrgh hurry up and get here!
In a fit of madness I turned my regular easy bike commute into something much harder. While this new route is a lot safer traveling predominantly on the bike paths, it’s definitely a lot harder once you get off the W&OD trail. I tried it going home last night and even in 85 degrees and high humidity I made it ok aside from making the wrong turn when I was approaching home which added a mile when I was tired – grr!
I think it will probably be good for a couple of times a week as a change or when I’m feeling feisty, but I’m not sure about the round trip just yet. 40 miles on a work day is kind of a lot. Still, gives me something to aim for. I just wish it was all as smooth as W&OD because I tore that joint up. My new hobby is passing fully decked out [Race Replica | Spandex Riders | Carbon Triathlon bikes | Aero bars | Aero Wheels] on my Fixed gear. Nothing personal, I’m just saying it might be possible to get some exercise without spending 8 large.
Before
View My Cycling Commute Short in a larger map
After
View My Cycling Commute Long in a larger map
If I am the only guy in the locker room and I am completely naked, towelling myself down you do not need to scootch up next to me on the bench in order to get yourself a coveted full-length locker. There is enough room for 20 people in the locker room, you do not need to be up in my business unless you intend to perform services usually only rendered by my wife. Use a half-length locker and obey the guy rules or else I will taunt you a second time.
Wednesday: Nada, Squats and Deadlifts day
Thursday: 3 x 5 minutes on Elliptical @ 140 HR vs 3 x 3 minutes on Jacob’s Ladder oiyeeee
Friday: Shoulders and Triceps
Saturday: Hung over
Sunday: 15m cycle ride on and off road. Pootled around Lake Royal
Body weight has gone from 228 to 220 in 8 days, trying to clean up the diet and portion size as well. One step at a time, still drinking merrily. Happy with the progress so far.
Saturday: Nada, recovering from hangover
Sunday: Easy 3.5 mile run, too cold though
Monday: Chest, Bi’s with no cardio
Tuesday: 5k with 5 x 1 minute @ 8 segments, was gonna do the ladder but ran out of time
Progress, although my bloody knee hurts again already. I’m going to have to refocus on cycling and the ladder to get some more low impact good aerobic cardio in. This week is all about portion control, always a fun thing.
My release ships tomorrow, so I can have a bit more time for a real life, and nothing makes me more excited than getting outside again. I’ve been cooped up too long and have muscles that need to be stretched again. In order to fuel this spirit of continuing motivation I’m going to try and a) blog more and b) log my cardio so I can hopefully see some progression over time. This week so far has been the break-in period.
Sunday AM: Easy 5k
Monday: Hung over
Tuesday AM: Chest and bi’s, no cardio
Wednesday AM: Easy 5k
Thursday Lunch: Easy 4k, then 5 x (1 min @ 8 : 2 min recovery @ 6), followed by 5 minute cooldown and an inaugural 3 minutes on the Jacob’s Ladder. Followed by what can only be described as ‘a period of light headedness’.
Jacob’s Ladder is a very cool piece of machinery. I’m definitely going to utilize it in more workouts and see if I can get good at it. I love it because it’s 0 impact so when you’re 225 lbs you don’t get the feeling your knees are about to explode. It’s also powered by your bodyweight, no switched or doodads. You want to go faster, climb faster. You need to vomit, climb slower, simple.
Honestly I probably went off a bit too fast and think I did the final 2 minutes in anaerobic land but it was a good challenge and I’m looking forward to staring its’ rungs in the face again next time. My legs are complete jelly right now.
So I ended up at 1RM of 300 lb for flat bench, which is 5lb more than when I last tested a few weeks back at 295 lb. Honestly speaking inside I should be satisfied but I am quite disappointed. I felt like 300 went up stro o o o ng and then when I tried 305 failed pretty badly at the sticking point even with Vadim and Tim screaming at me. I think I conclude that in order to progress I need to work my triceps super hard as this is my weakest link. Fuck! Ass!.
Perspective though, need to stay positive. Overall though for my winter GVT training, I’ve gone from 275 to 200, which is 25lbs improvement on the 1RM. This is at a bodyweight of 210, so I have 1.43 on the power to weight ratio. COCK! What do I have to do to get to power|weight 1.5 or over? Maybe lose 10 years? Interestingly Vadim made me rep out on 225 afterwards and it felt like it was throwing around a feather. Muscle memory / acclimatisation is a strange thing. So Fabian the answer to the 225lb bench test is 10 reps. I was a bit high estimating I could do 15 :p
Well winter is ending and so does the pure strength part of the workout. I will keep training heavy but the prerogative moves away from strength and onto cardio. Honestly I’m quite happy to hit the cardio again as I’m quite sick of this spare tire I seem to have developed. I don’t know if I’ll ever see 315 though, I would dearly love to lift it but unless I stick with the power style lifting I’m not sure I can. Stupid natural raw lifting! Someone loan me a bench shirt so I can bang out that plateau and be done with it..
