Cycling in the Tropics

It is nice to see cycling pictures in the hot tropics of Guyana as the temperatures dip below freezing up North. Pictures obtained from Guyana Cycling Online.

Tabata Intervals 1 18 2010

10 minutes warm up + 4 minutes of intervals + 16 minutes warm down = 30 mins
Total work = 274 kj

Eight reps at 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off = 4 minutes of work
Total work = 98 kj
Notice the first two intervals I started easy, no need to go hard this early in the season. But to do these correctly, then it has to be an all out maximum effort.

Protocol I used below - interval wattage between 350 to 450 watts:
Warm up 10 minutes
10 - 10:20 interval 1
10:20 - 10:30 recovery

10:30 - 10:50 interval 2
10:50 - 11:00 recovery

11:00 - 11:20 interval 3
11:20 - 11:30 recovery

11:30 - 11:50 interval 4
11:50 - 12:00 recovery

12:00 - 12:20 interval 5
12:20 - 12:30 recovery

12:30 - 12:50 interval 6
12:50 - 13:00 recovery

13:00 - 13:20 interval 7
13:20 - 13:30 recovery

13:30 - 13:50 interval 8
13:50 - 14:00 recovery

14:00 - 30:00 warm down

30:00 - 35:00 gingerly get off the bike and puke, preferably in a sink. Typically you would spin easy for 1 minute before repeating the process. Right now one set is enough for me, since I don't have the base mileage and enough of that magic hormone - testosterone for recovery.

Here is more information on Tabata intervals which is used for general conditioning, these intervals can be applied to any type of exercise. It is basically 4 minutes (20 seconds on 10 seconds off with 1 minute of rest before repeating exercise.

1980s Winning Bicycle Magazine covers

Where are they now?

I found a box of 80s Winning Bicycle Racing magazines in my parent's attic. As I browsed a few of them I saw pictures of Alexi Grewal, Mark Gorski, Neslon Vails, Leonard Nitz, Rebecca Twigg, Davis Phinney, Connie Carpenter Phinney, Andy Hampsten, Chris Carmichael, Greg LeMond, Steve Bauer and other North American Cyclists. A few have become famous but many have dissappeared into obscurity, wonder what they are doing these days.

Alexi Grewal (road) - running for mayor

Mark Gorski (track) - business development officer

Nelson Vails (track) - coach at velocamps las vegas

Leonard Nitz (road & track) - business owner and masters cyclist racing for Specialized

Rebecca Twigg (road & track) -

Davis Phinney (road) -

Connie Carpenter (road & track) -

Andy Hampsten - Hampsten bicyles

Chris Carmichael - coach at train right

to be continued...

2009 Manchester Women's Scratch Race

Motorpacing in Traffic

Learning the Basics

Sprint recovery

Quest for G Episode 14

Quest for G Episode 7

Quest for G Episode 8

Training Energy Systems 1 10 2010

Speed Skating workout

Speed & agility Training

Strength training - inclined hack squat machine

16 plates x 45 lbs each = 720 lbs

The inclined hack squat machine appears to be at a 30 degree angle - so I am not actually lifting all that weight, the force is going in different directions. I can't remember how to calculate vectors and resultants (Statics & Strength of Materials). I was able to at one time, but it is one of those subjects you forget if you don't use it in real life.


20 plates x 45 lbs each = 900 lbs

Training Summary Sheet 12 31 2009