Alex's blog - weight lifting

Check out Alex's blog - it has a lot of useful info regarding power lifting for cycling.

http://draftingnyc.blogspot.com/

I started lifting weights for the off season on 9/27/2008 - Legs, Chest, Back, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Situps and then a Spin Class - total of 2 hours training. Legs are absolutely sore from the Squats, even though I only used 145lbs.

This is my two week transition phase to weight training, after which would be two weeks of the high volume training phase and then the remaining of the winter would be the strenght phase with heavy weights. Interspersed with this would be rides on the spinner bike, LSD Sunday road rides and plyometrics. I am following Chris Carmichael's training program using his book "The Ultimate Ride" and training DVDs. I did not lift weights for one whole year which helped in reducing my bulk, I only concentrated on the p90x program for the off season, which did include some dumbbell work but nothing which included barbells. It was mostly manipulating your own body weight.

-Transition Phase - Light weights, (12 to 15 reps) 1 to 3 sets - 2 weeks
-High Volume Phase - Moderate weights, (8 to 12 reps) 4 to 6 sets - 2 weeks
-Strenght Phase - Heavy weights (6 to 8 reps) 3 to 5 sets. - rest of the off season

To maximize the weight work out and adapt the muscles for cycling - I do Power Starts, Stomps and Muscle tension workouts on a Cyclops Spin Bicycle with a power meter.

9 20 2008 Prospect Park Cat 5 first road race

My first road race after 17 years. Sure didn't like waking up at 4:30am, it brought back memories of waiting for Al Toefield at the corner of Woodhaven and Myrtle Ave to get a ride in his big orange van to the Prospect Park Races. Back in the 80s and 90s the start and finish line was located at the Grecian Temple, which set the stage for a screaming fast finish at the bottom of the hill.

This Cat 5 race today was a lot easier than racing on the track, as a matter of fact it felt downright relaxing except for that annoying 175 foot bump which bumped my heart rate up. For me it was just testing the waters after not racing on the road for so long. I was sitting in the back for this very short 17 mile race, re-learning and observing what it takes to race in Prospect Park. I must say I am once again hooked. Below are the Garmin Charts from the ride and a few pictures swiped from nyvelocity.

SUMMARY OF RIDE
SPEED
PACE
HEART RATE
% HEART MAX
GRADE
ELEVATION

September 2008 Masters Nationals team sprints

Received via text message:

35 to 39 age group
Team Sommerville - Silver Medal
-Andrew LaCorte
-Ted Schmid
-Randy McClain

40 to 44 age group
Team Brooklyn Velo - 5th Place
-Chris Barbaria
-Nelson Li
-Roger Martenez

September 2008 Masters Nationals Dan Lim

Received via text message:

Dan Lim wins a Bronze Medal in the 90 lap points race. It was an extremely hot day and a very tough race. Dan won three sprints in the race and finished while half the field dropped out.

September 2008 Masters Nationals Derrick Davis

Received via text message:

Derrick Davis has won the Silver in the 50 - 54 age group match sprints event at this years track nationals in San Jose California.

Link to results

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9 5 2008 San Jose Masters Nationals report

Eleven masters earn points race, sprint titles at track nationals

San Jose, Calif. (September 5, 2008)--Another 11 national titles were decided on Thursday at the 2008 USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships in San Jose, Calif. as competitors competed in head-to-head sprints and mass-start points races.

Overall, six sprint titles were determined beginning with the women’s 30-34 category which was won by Jen Featheringill (Portland, Ore./Bike Central) who took two straight rides from silver medalist Jennifer Triplett (Seattle, Wash./Broadmark) to win the national title.

In the women’s 35-39 sprint, Julie Bautista (San Diego, Calif./Adams Ave.) added another title to the 500-meter time trial championship she won earlier in the week. Bautista beat Deborah Kidd (Santa Fe, N.M./Hammer Racing) in two straight rides to claim the title.

In the men’s 30-34 sprint, Peter Billington (San Rafael, Calif./Whole Athlete) outsprinted Nicholas Harter (Corte Madera, Calif./Kondra Systems) to earn the national championship, also in two consecutive rides in the best-of-three format.

Andrew LaCorte (Plainview, N.Y./Sommerville Sports) took home the national title in the men’s 35-39 sprint in two straight rides against Allen Vugrincic (Palo Alto, Calif./Adobe Schwalbe).

Earl Henry (Pinellas Park, Fla./BBC) beat Jim Kloss (Huntington Beach, Calif./Velo Avanti) in the men’s 65-69 category to earn his first Stars-and-Stripes jersey of the week.

And in the final sprint competition decided on Thursday, Paul Yazolino (Alameda, Calif./Alto Velo) beat Richard Keller (Oconomowoc, Wis./Midwest Masters) in the 70+ age category.

Five points race jerseys were also awarded on Thursday. Patty Powers (Kintnersville, Pa./Lymphedivas) won the women’s 45-49 contest with 18 points, Linda Elgart (Sacramento, Calif./Webcor Alto Velo) won the 50+ race with 25 points and Julie Nevitt (Saratoga, Calif./SJBC-SugarCRM) scored 18 points to win the 40-44 race. Jerseys were also awarded to Donna Woods (Carmel, Calif./Team Walthour) and Marsha Marco (Littleton, Colo./Hammer Racing) in the 55-59 and 60+ categories respectively.

Link to story

September 2008 Masters track nationals Andrew LaCorte National Champion

Received via text message:

Andrew LaCorte has won the gold for his age group (35 to 39) at the Masters Nationals Sprints in San Jose California.

-Andrew was the fastest qualifier.

-First ride in the the finals Andrew held the rider high and then dove for the win.

-Second ride in the finals the rider tried to take off on a Kilo since he was the silver medalist in that event. He took off in the first turn and had four bike lenghts on Andrew who closed the gap in a hurry, came around in the last turn and held hands high across the finish line for the Gold.

-Andrew is now the National Champion in the sprints. Thanks to all the time spent behind the motor bike, hours on the track and support from all at Kissena and elsewhere.

Link to results

2008 Kissena track season by John Campo

Amy Bolger's labor day pictures can be found over at cyclehawk.com

Thanks to every ones help this year in making the track season another fond year to remember.

John Campo

2008 Masters National Track Championships California

As per text message:

Both Andrew LaCorte and Chris Barberia have won the bronze in their respective age groups:

35 - 39
Andrew LaCorte - 1:11:50

40 - 44
Chris Barbaria - 1:13:36

Link to results