Sunday, December 25, 2011

Eric's Strength Challenge/Spinervals Christmas Eve

Well, Saturday was the workout I was most looking forward to on the whole schedule, the Lake Placid Virtual Reality DVD.

I've done LP five times, and I've ridden the course many more. Two of the absolutely best workouts I had last year was the loop of the course I road on my mountain bike in 90 degree heat, and the loop I rode the next day on my race bike- backwards. I love everything about that course- the race memories, the awesome backdrops, the massive downhills and the climbs.

The DVD doesn't of course capture all of it, you can't smell it, or breath it in, but the workout is very solid and the video certainly is a great reminder of all the places you see on that ride.

The workout also starts out pretty easy. In fact, you spend a LOT of this workout in small ring 15, which might have you thinking you're getting an easy day.

You aren't. The whole point of the video is to try and prepare you for how to ride the course on race day, which is all about backing it down and letting the complexity and difficulties of the course push your effort up, and up and up. You can can either ball on the easier parts of the course and cry on the hard parts, or you can keep the intensity down and ride the course in a solid and productive way. Guess which one sets you up for a good run.

I'll admit that I was flagging a little bit coming back from Hazelton, however, once we got on the last segment the energy game right back and I really felt the final climbs went well.

The workout was like an early Christmas present.

It was on to Eric's strength training after that. The one arm snatches were easy, the lateral squat jumps were not and the plank leg lifts- well let's just say I was glad there were only three sets.

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