The Weekend Lookback...

Monday is often a rest day for cyclists....and thank good-ness it is! I had laundry to do, bathrooms to clean, and bikes in desperate need of a bath and tune. I kinda want to ride though....after the biggest week I can remember in the past couple of years, I just feel like keeping the momentum going I guess. My biggest weeks over the last 6 or 7 years? See below...the caveat is that I'm pretty sure not every ride I did is in the list below, so I don't know for sure if that represents my actual riding, but it's probably pretty close.
2014 - 267 miles last week!
2013 - 231 miles
2012 - 202 miles
2011 - 216 miles
2010 - 177 miles!
2009 - 200 miles
2008 - 424 miles on a ride from Sunnyvale to Santa Barbara, next biggest week was 275 miles!

Wow, if you'd asked me I'd have said I was "racing" during much of that time, and actually pulled a few results...but sub 200 mile week are not the way to be a fast guy by and large - although quality is the most important element, total miles matters. Anyway, I didn't start this post to look at weekly mileage...actually to look at daily mileage (lol). Speaking of long rides here was Saturday's ride in all it's 105 miles of glory:

Here are my previous daily long rides for the year - with the same caveat as above, I may not have a power file for the ride and it sure FEELS like I rode farther on any given day than these show:
2013 - 68 miles in February
2012 - 77 miles in September
2011 - 85 miles in February and August
2010 - 71 miles in October!
2009 - 100 miles in July
2008 - 155 miles in May on the way to Santa Barbara...my longest ride ever I think

Sunday Early Birds - Once again I spent Sunday working at the Early Bird Training Series. Those from 'round here know it well as it's been a mainstay of Januarys for over 25 years and has helped countless riders make a smoother transition to the peloton. I was in charge of the curriculum for the day and came up with some drills intended to help riders get better at moving around in a field. Here are the descriptions, maybe try then with your riding group:

Pack Skills Drills:

1. Pack Skill Drill 1 – Thread The Needle: This is a MOVING drill. Position 3 or 4 mentors as ‘off-set moving cones’ (per diagram) and two mentors as the final ‘gate’, with the field staged behind the first cone. Riders then proceed to pass the ‘mentor cones’ alternating sides until they get to the front, at which point they proceed through the two ‘gate’ mentors, who are riding within a few feet of each other, and return to the ‘field.’ Alternate starting sides on each pass. X = mentor, * = riders path

*

X   *  X

*

*

*  X

*

   *

     *

X *

*

*   .

*      .

*   X

*

.   *

field

Mentor Notes: This is NOT a slalom race! Mentors should position themselves approximately 1 – 1.5 bike lengths apart and emphasize subtle, controlled movement between the ‘cones.’ Cue riders to look behind before moving over, avoid using the brakes appropriately, and gradually move closer to the ‘cones.’

  

2. Pack Skill Drill 2  – Up The Middle: This is a MOVING drill. Pack divides into two pacelines (R and L). The riders at the BACK of the paceline roll up the center of the paceline (alternate starting R/L sides) and taking up the front position OPPOSITE where they started (eg X1 moves to X4). After each full rotation the group moves a bit closer together until, ideally, the riders are inches apart and moving smoothly.

X4    *    X3

X5     *    X2

X6    *    X1

     *          *

Mentor Notes: Groups should be a minimum of 6, but larger is ok too, as it allows more time ‘moving up the middle’. Cue soft elbows and hips, breathing, and the fact that modest contact is NOT unexpected.

  

3. Pack Skill Drill 3   – Gutter Ball: This is a MOVING drill. Pack divides into two pacelines (R and L). This is a rotating paceline with the right ( R) line riding on the cement portion of the gutter. There are two (2) versions of this
1. Clockwise Rotation:  Two pacelines starting near the gutters – start a simple clockwise rotation where the right line – ideally with a few seconds between riders – drops back through the gutter to the end of the paceline, rotates left and then comes forward. Start this drill with ample room to spare on both sides and try to get closer each time through.

pavement	cement
	X
X		g
	X
X		u
	X
X		t
	X
X		t
	X
X		e
		r

2. CounterClockwise Rotation: Two pacelines again – simply reverse the rotation to  counter-clockwise, this has the “forward” line moving up the inside in the gutter. Again, allow ample room between lines and a few seconds between riders going forward at the start of the drill. As they get better move the lines closer and with less space between the riders moving up.

pavement	cement
	X
X		g
	X
X		u
	X
X		t
	X
X		t
	X
X		e
		r

“Gutter Ball” is only done on the long straight aways – from Turn 2 to Turn 3 and from the exit of Turn 4 (200m back from the start finish) to Turn 1. The rest of the lap is a simple paceline to reform and offer quick feedback.

I haven't run the numbers yet, but we were definitely smaller than previous weeks, likely due to the football game and the erroneous belief that it was "sprinting" day..which tends to nerve out new riders for some reason....maybe they think we're gonna start them off with full blown field sprints!?