Perfection

That's right bloggers - it's time to get back to it. Back to planning. Back to training. Back to blogging. The new year is right around the corner, and it's going to be a good one.

I hope every one out there in blog space, particularly those who frequent The Grind regularly, had a great holiday. In these parts, the stick-shift of life has been jammed forward on high for a while now. After finishing my first block of base training, I submitted myself to another LT test on the bike to gage my power at LT, and compare it to the baseline I established about a month ago. I expected to see a pretty big jump in power output sustainable at threshold this time around, given that my baseline test was conducted after 3 or 4 weeks of minimal riding, and zero structured training (with the exception of a few weeks of transition training). I'm pleased to say, that after only one block of base, my power/weight ratio has increased from 3.43 at baseline, to 4.15 W/kg. Now folks, I need to tell you that I haven't gained or lost any weight either, so that increase in power at LT is strictly an increase in functional power, and for those who want a percentage, realize it's an increase a smidgen over 20%. Hell yes.

Right about here is where I need to thank my man .n. out in S-town for getting me to fully commit to the power-based training philosophy. The proof is certainly in the pudding.

Mmmm... Pudding.

So. Yeah. The numbers coming back from my recent LT test sure help in keeping the motivational torch aflame . I've had some really great workouts lately as well - lots of long trail runs and bike rides, despite the horribly damp and dreary weather here in the Northeast. Good swimming, and tolerable weight sessions have also been in abundance, though the weight sessions seem to be getting quite long these days, and increasingly more challenging. More on this in an upcoming post. But, with zero worries in the world (read: no work) and plenty of fresh coffee always on tap, this holiday vacation has been nothing, but nothing, but good.

"Hey Joe - is the picture at the top of this post one of your new Cervelo you built for your upcoming long-course races?"

It sure is. I spent a few days building it up piece by piece, like a mad-scientist (pun-intended), getting every little thing right on it. People have said before that I'm a bit fanatical about how I build up my bikes... Well. Ummm. They're right, and this was no exception. In the end, it came out as light as my road racing bike without totally breaking the bank (not an easy feat!) and as aero as a knife-edge. The wheels, as many of you astute bike-hounds will notice, are simply training wheels. I haven't yet finalized my decision on race wheels for the upcoming season, but I can tell you they'll mostly likely be from these folks. And don't worry. More pictures will follow.

Now, with only a few days left before the new year, I'd better start thinking of some really good resolutions.

Keep it easy.