Another day... Another Theory...

Tuesday Worlds...

I really felt good last night even though it didn’t show. I don't like the position excuse, but I put out big efforts a couple of times when I didn't need to and it cost me. Generally, I got dropped because I am out of shape... or at least out of shape compared to my old teammates. A few things I realized last night...

My big gear power is definitely not what it used to be. There are times when someone will surge on the front and I feel as though I don’t have the horsepower to hold. That just doesn’t happen to me when I am in shape especially in the flats (I have pretty good power but high weight, therefore I seldom have trouble on flat roads) and that is where it is happening... in the flats… I don’t know what that is but I don’t like it… I think that the FTP testing really help me garner power throughout my entire stroke coming into this season. I think I lost a lot of that when I got hurt… I think my stroke changed a lot trying to compensate for my injury… bad stuff that may take the winter to fix …

I have a theory…

I wrecked at the end of March (29th)… on April 23rd, I, for the first time, said that I had a decent day on the bike. That is pretty much a month off. For the next month, I built my FTP up to 270 Watts… that is 40 Watts lower than where I was. Then I switched the ergomo and things have been haywire ever since… no way to count on any numbers. By the way, the BB shifted for sure and started creaking like it did on my old bike. Now the wattage has fallen way down… I really have got to work to get it over 300 Watts… I think it may actually be right now… if so, I was at 270 when I dropped last night… seems low really but we took it really easy on the way out and I dropped really quick… I will test soon...

UPDATE... I went out for a ride today at lunch. I did an offset prior to the ride and it dropped down 8 points... that brought my wattage right back up where it has been and put me into a 305 Watt hour effort today... I don't think this is right so my dilemma continues. Those of you who did not understand the albatross reference will hopefully understand it now....

My theory is this. Even though I like to think that I was only off the bike for 2 weeks, I was still on crutches when I got back on and could not put out any effort. Then, when I think that I was really only off the bike for 1 month, I look back and realize that at 1 month I was excited to be able to pedal without pain up to 300 Watts. Then when I think that I was really only off the bike for 2 months, I look back and realize that I still had done no true aerobic nor anaerobic work due to my limitations from the injury and high wattage efforts…

Said a different way, even while I have been on the bike “training” for the last two to three months since my injury, I have not been challenging my cardiovascular/respiratory systems at all. My legs have been rebuilding, but I have really been losing cardio fitness. How could I not? The vast system I built up through the winter and early spring has seen a 2-3 month layoff from the workload it had become accustomed to. Even two months after my injury, I was still could only work hard for two hours without drastic failure of all systems with fatigue.

So... what does this all mean... I think I have actually lost fitness (cardio/resp) over the last month and gained power… this may sound strange but I think it has happened. They met in the middle. Where I might could power through a painful stretch without HR and respiratory rate going crazy... only hip pain... now that my legs and hip feel better, I am left without any big power (which I really count on to race) and with no big engine or gas tank. Everything has been trained to mediocrity. Don't get me wrong... I can go out to any group ride and fool someone into thinking I can ride a bike... but I cant race and I cant race within my teammates, even... I can sit on, but who wants that!