Buying Speed: Post #3

A while back I posted about chain waxing. http://lp18bos19.blogspot.com/2018/04/chain-warriors.html?m=0

Tonight we took the next steps in this endeavor: 

1. Removed the old greased chain 

2. Degreased the drive chain (because wax means no grease) 

3. Installed the first waxed chain with a removable master link. 

The first ride was interesting because of how quiet the waxed drivetrain was compared to one with a greased chain, like it was almost silent. 

The performance difference between wax and traditional lubes is significant, as much as 4 watts. 

Cost for one chain, wax, slow cooker:  $55
Cost per watt:  $13.75/watt

Note: the wax will work with a couple dozen chains and the slow cooker is reusable. 

In any case, we are almost ready for the Powerman Duathlon in Frankenmuth this weekend.  Should be a blast. I always look forward running the engine on high for a while. 

Here is the winningest bike ever made with a waxed chain and race wheels installed. :-)

On Stage Tonight

Not everything is life is about being a semi-professional triathlete.

Today was I was honored to sit on stage at the UM School of Education commencement and was recognized as part of the partnership work that occurs with the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Forever Go Blue!

50 Years Old

I'm about to turn 50. 

Feels like a good time to think about life and reflect, so here goes….

So what's it like to turn 50 you ask? 

• It feels normal and a little exciting. 

• It feels happy. As usual I'm looking forward. 

• 50 surrounds me with love and care. Thank you Steph and Ryan.  Love you both. I have really wonderful and caring parents. I've got lots of great family, friends and colleagues that fill my daily life. I'm lucky.  

• 50 is interesting and fulfilling at a personal level. Ironman Lake Placid with Ryan this summer will likely be one of the highlights of being a father for me, and I'm certainly looking forward to running the Boston Marathon again in the upcoming year.

• At 50 you buy expensive running shoes, fast chains, latex tubes, low CRR tires, and super aero cycling shoes. 

What is it like to be 50 compared to 40? Here are my thoughts: 

• I'm happier at 50 than at 40. Lots of reasons for this, but it definitely feels the truth. This all by itself makes me happy!

• I'm healthier at 50 than 40. This is mostly due to the triathlon mid-life crisis which includes healthier eating habits beyond the sometimes obsessive workout schedule.  However, I also want to note that there have been no serious health related issues in my 40s….no getting hit by a car while riding my bike, no cancer relapses.  Saying "no cancer relapses" feels like such a relief.

• I'm more balanced...or at least that's the story I'm sticking to :-)

• 50 is definitely more grey than 40, but I'm happy to report that SJCK says it's all good.

• We experimented with the empty nest in my 40s, but I think the real empty nest time period is about to start…this one is hard to believe.  For the time being, Ryan (and Hannah) will be close by which is a very nice thing.

Where is all of this leading?

• Who knows….but I certainly find myself thinking about what life will be like in the next ten years.  

• Here's what I'm thinking about to begin: 

Buying Speed Post #2

In my quest to both train to get faster and buy things to get faster, here's the next installment of buying speed.  Today's focus is generally on race wheels but specifically on race tires and tubes.

Why are tires and tubes important?
I found out years ago that having the right race tires is important because some tires roll faster on the roads.  In addition, some inner tubes make tires roll faster too. 

Which tires roll the fastest?
According to Bicycle Rolling Resistance, the fastest tires currently are:
1. Vittoria Corsa Speed - Open
2. Vittoria Corsa Speed - Tubular
3. Continental Grand Prix TT
I wasn't able to find Vittoria tires in stock, so I picked up some limited edition Grand Prix TTs.  The difference between these tires and the tires I used last year (Continental 4000S II) is reported to be 2.3 watts.
Cost:  $90 for two tires
Cost per watt:  $39.31/watt

Which tubes roll the fastest?
Latex tubes roll faster than butyl tubes,  but is there a real difference? In a word, yes.

John Heasman, product promoter at Vittoria, the Italian tyre company, says that a “standard butyl tube adds roughly 5 watts per tyre” when compared with latex. Five watts might not sound like much, but over the course of long rides or time trials, it’s significant.  Read more at Cycling Weekly.
Cost: $24 for two tubes
Cost per watt: $4.80/watt

Thanks to RCK for getting me some new Vittoria latex tubes for the season.

RCK and I mounted new tires and tubes over the weekend.  Here's what the finished product looked like on my end:

Hopefully these will serve me well this year.  Two weeks until the first race of the season!

Reading, Resting, Thinking, #IMLP Tweets

After being diagnosed with the flu this week and nearly no training, I'm keeping myself busy by reading, resting, and thinking. 

Reading: slowtwitch.com, assorted blogs related to training nutrition and Disney, a book highlighting the best hikes in Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite. 

Relaxing: I spent a lot of hours on the couch in the last few days. More than I can remember in a long time.  

Thinking: About life. Want to talk about it?  Reminds me of old friend Dave Aherns. He loved talking about life. 

Here are a few Tweets to share about Ironman Lake Placid that I found interesting this evening. 

Buying Speed Post #1 - Part 2

You might remember that I'm looking for ways to get faster, both in training but also by buying the right equipment.  I recently posted about this in regards to modifying some new Giro Empire cycling shoes by having part of the tongue removed at a local shoe repair store.  The pictures below show the modifications in three sections to explain what's been done:

1. Part of the tongue is now removed. You can see the remaining black section of the tongue just below the laces.  Note that the remaining section of tongue has also been stitched into the shoe along the sides, next to the eyelets so that it is the right width for my foot. 

2.  I added in elastic laces to the shoes. I used laces recommeneded by Thomas Gerlach.  The hope here is that I can shove my foot into the shoe, on the fly, without having to spend time tying the laces.

Of course the tied laces are not at all the aero set up I'm looking for.  I need to practice riding with them for a while to make sure I've got the right tension before they are trimmed to look more like the red shoes below.  The laces on the red shoes are tied in a granny knot and than taped over to keep the area to a minimum.

Here's another model for my laces:

I will hope to finish the laces in the next couple weeks and will post a pic of the finished project.

3. I added Speedplay aero cleats...the yellow section in the picture.  Hmmm.  Gotta say I'm not buying the aero properties of this one given this setup.  The black section just above the yellow is the standard Speedplay mounting cleat.  To me this all looks like a lot of frontal area that isn't that much different than the regular "non-aero" Speedplay setup.  I'm sure my new set up isn't any worse though either.

I'll try them out on the bike asap...but I need to get over my current flu symptoms first.

Last I want to say thanks to RCK (i.e. The Elite One) for all his help in figuring this stuff out.  He is helping me take my training and preparation to the next level....as long as I can stay healthy.  Stay tuned.

Boston Memories - 2015

Pretty fired up tonight about the Boston results, especially about Des Linden winning.

A year from today, I hope to be at the Boston Marathon Expo with Sam Adams again.

Boston Eve Post: Best Wishes!! CRUSH IT!

Near as I can tell, there are two Michigan connections for me at Boston this year:  Scott McLean and Dan Chomet.  This is a far cry from 2014 when there were at least a dozen toeing the line, some of them in this picture. Hopefully we'll get a big turnout in 2019 to join at least Dan, Scott, Zach and me!

In any case, I checked in with my two favorite Boston runners today.  Here is what I found out from Scott:

 

Two words:  HOLY CRAP!  

I just checked the forecast for Marathon Monday and it doesn't look much better.  About 45°F at the start (which sounds awesome). But rain almost all day (which does not sound awesome).  Clothing choices will be important.  Hopefully it is a light rain with no downpours.  I hate to say it...I'm kind of glad I'm not running tomorrow.

Then I checked in with Dan.  Here's what's on Dan's mind:

Haha!  I love the idea of start, finish and get your favorite food.  I would love to join Dan for the pizza (like the last pic in this post from 2014), but I'd really want to get a Sam Adams 26.2....like immediately after the race.  Love that stuff.

 

Scott and Dan, I'll be tracking you tomorrow and wish you epic runs in what will surely be epic conditions.  Only serious Boston athletes will be crushing it tomorrow.  You both will be a part of the crushing group!  I can feel it!

For those who are interested, here is a bit more information about Scott and Dan. 

 - Scott is bib 1445. In addition, Scott is the founder of the Victors Melanoma Research Team.  Everyone should consider supporting this important cause.

- Dan is bib 10571. Dan is an amazing teaching colleague.
Scott and Dan have been my friends for over 30 years! WHAT!!!!!
You can track these two amazing runners at the BAA website.  I hope you do and that you cheer them on virtually!

Ironman Pacing - Mark it

If I can be strong, this screenshot represent what would be a good power output for LP.

Thinking of Garmin data screen modifications:
- 10-second power
- 3- minute power
- Ride power
- Normalized rose power
- Ride time
- Overall time (especially run)

Some other ideas from the slowtwitch.com forum: CLICK HERE

Vaporfly 4% Unboxing and First Impressions

Unboxing -
It was just like any other pairs of shoes. Good and all but unremarkable especially because we are talking about the most expensive running shoes I've every purchased. 

I won't say that I expected an Apple like unboxing experience, but it would be have been cool if it was something a little more special. :-)

 

First Impression - so springy and soft. It is unlike any shoe I've ever worn and makes me wonder how springy and soft translates to being fast. It will be fun to see if they really seem to make a difference.

Efficient Swimmers Don’t Glide—They Reach | Triathlete.com

In a moment of either sickness or just being super tired (and either way resulting in less working out and more downtime), this article was an interesting read. I think this is what Coach Noah was telling me at swim practice a few weeks back.

http://www.triathlete.com/2016/06/training/efficient-swimmers-dont-glide-they-reach_133526#04HtkzqilJM8X1IH.03

Buying Speed Post #1

Thanks to the guys at the Get Faster podcast and RCK, I'm looking for ways to buy watts. Lots of ideas in the hopper. I always have lots of ideas to share. 

 One idea I'm working on: creating the most aerodynamic triathlon shoe possible. I got this idea from Thomas Gerlach (through RCK). Check out Thomas' post about this here: http://www.thomasgerlach.com/2016/05/fastest-ironman-bike-shoes-aerodynamics.html?m=1

Essentially the idea is to take a super comfortable, smooth leather (i.e. aero) road shoe and modify it to a super comfortable, smooth leather tri shoe. 

A few steps are needed to accomplish this. First step: modify new white Giro shoes by removing part of the tongue and having the remainder of the tongue sewn into the shoe. My white shoes - with the tongue still in it- show here as does a similar black shoe showing what I am hoping to end up with. 

In addition to Thomas Gerlach's blog, I got ideas from others in this Slowtwitch forum thread: https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Giro_SLX_Laces_P6008013/

My modified shoes should be ready in a few days. I will show the results to show the finished product here. 

Chain Waxing Warriors

Spent a couple hours with RCK (i.e. the Elite One) learning about waxing chains and actually waxing my new fast YBN chains. 

For those who are like me and haven't don't this before, here is the training video:

https://moltenspeedwax.com/pages/waxing-your-chain

Here are a couple shots of our fun, I mean process.

  

After all of the chain excitement, it was late and we needed to eat food.  Turned out to be Olgas...

TrainerRoad Works l!

Today's "regular" day workout and the impact of TR for the last 13 weeks showed in the results...all-time high 60 and 90 minute power. It will be interesting to see what happens on race day. 

Need To Beet It Up According to GQ

My secret weapon is getting some too public press. Time to beet it!

GQ: A Complete Guide to Pre-Workout Supplements

Everything you need to know before you hit the gym. Read the full story

Shared from Apple News

Ironman Relaxation Tip: SO MANY IKEA OPTIONS

Updated Functional Threshold Power (FTP)

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) represents your ability to sustain the highest possible power output over 45 to 60 minutes, depending on whether you're a trained athlete or not. 

My FTP is now at 273 watts, 16 watts higher than it was on January 6, 2018.

This was determined today during an FTP test of two averaged 8-minute all out segments, I paced well on the first segment but did not pace well on the second segment (which can be seen in the graphic below).  This resulted in a lower set of values in segment two. Upshot...I think my number could have been higher.  But whatever...I'm happy to train with a target a couple watts lower.

Notes:
- The blue sections show the targeted power readings for this workout.
- The yellow lines show the actual power readings.
- The red line is heart rate.


I don't have similar FTP numbers from previous years, but I do have some numbers from a couple past races:
8/14/13 - T-Rex bike leg (11.66 miles) - 232 watts, 247 watts normalized power
6/22/16 - Pterodactyl bike leg (11.7 miles) - 236 watts, 248 watts normalized power.
The normalized power numbers are higher because of the hilly nature of the T-Rex Tri series bike course.

In any case, by comparison, the older numbers both look a low compared to where things are now.  Seems like a good sign.

More on FTP can be found at https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/what-is-threshold-power/