training

The rain has been coming down like crazy here on the Front Range. There is flooding all over the place and I sure as hell wasn’t riding outside. You know, one of those days your glad not to be a bike messenger. So like usually, when the weather is bad I head down to MOB Training Center and chase the Euro pro’s on the big screen. Although I was doing some really intense intervals, I still couldn’t get any closer to them. It’s like I was mounted in the same place or something. Oh wait, I was. The workouts always feel harder inside than they do outside and my butt gets sore way faster.

The last two days of training have been really hard and I have two more to go before I get a break. The easiest of the four is tomorrow which is 3 hours and includes 10 short intervals. I’m starting to feel a little better during the intensity which is a nice change. I missed my entire interval training last season due to the crash in Mexico. I basically raced myself into shape. That method works in a pinch but not as good as training specific zones individually. Last year my legs felt flat most of the time and my explosive power was lost. If I can make it through this week and recover properly I should see some big improvements.

I first heard the word at a race in Belgium. Some sort of mystical ability that the top riders have? Loosely -- very loosely -- translated as suppleness, but so much more.

I've sensed it in the pedaling action of some of the super-fast pro track riders; got some feel of it in my own legs on late-night "twiddles" home on an extremely low gear after watching said riders. There's a sense of connected flow, as well as speed, relaxation, power and... well, suppleness.