Deep in the cycle..

Wednesday was a schedule stretcher, just like today will be. Two workouts at opposite ends of the city yesterday and three today. Yesterday I was in training mode for 6 hours. Total workout time was 3.5 hours. Pretty revealing when you think of a 13 hour training week is actually more like 20 unless each workout starts out the door. Only if. This sport really requires quality time management and my schedule is on the lean side. I'm grateful for the time I do have. Anyway.....
Yesterday was a 1:00 aerobic set in the pool and a 2.5 hour MTB ride.
I swam in Coronado. I wanted to vary my workoutfrom yesterday so I focused on 200m sets. Here's what I did.

8x100 warm-up
5x200 on 4:00 (descending) 1:45-1:37/100
500 pull
200 cool down
2500m total

I really try to vary the warm-up as there is a definite point where I feel I'm swimming easier.
If I can find what works best I can try to adapt this to my pre race warm up. The main set creeped slightly into T-pace but I haven't checked it in a while. It felt pretty easy.

After a quick refuel stop at Starbucks I headed up to Penasquitos Canyon to get on the Epic.

I am really stoked on this bike. I will never let equipment be an excuse for poor performance and I need every advantage I can get.

My ride was one of the better at this somewhat local spot. I made a decision to find some new loops and it worked out great. I did a couple of the loops twice and then checked out some steeps that I have ridden before. I was definitely a little rusty on the technical side but my legs felt strong. I looked for as much varied terrain as I could. Hitting sand, gravel, and baby head sections just to try and get relaxed on the bike. I was supposed to ride Zones 1-3 with a little Zone 4, which is what I did...but my legs were smoking. That's the thing about riding off road is that the Power output is sometimes violently irregular. Power can go from like 500W to 250W in like 5 cycles. Pretty much the inverse of the training I've been doing on the road and definitely not what you want to do in a race as it taps into anaerobic energy systems even though HR doesn't pick it up. That can do nothing but make me a stronger rider ....I tell myself. I'm going to be looking forward to every chance I get to ride off road. It's just better. period. Less people, cars, no stoplights and lots of adrenaline. Not to forget mother nature.