23.5km ride: Nice road!

Hour long ride (just over), up and down up and down.
Found a brilliant new road; not a soul in sight on one long descent where I clocked 69.70. Wasn't wearing my shades, so had tears streaming down my cheeks and clouding my eyes. Could push 80km on that stretch I reckon.
Didn't wear the HRM strap, so no idea. But on the SRVI, I'd say I was around 30-ish. Still not really trying to push it. Average speed was about 21kmh. Total ascent: 443.7m. Steepest gradient: 10.4%.

Glad to see Kenny's posting. He's got the opportunity to streak ahead -- I'm in London for two days (along with Obama and the protestors).

Ken's Training Goals

He was playing with his Dad behind the college's admin building when I first saw him. He had that charmy boyish smirk back then too but had not yet amassed the hairy, blunt stature that he somehow manages to move along running and bike paths rather smartly today. How was I to know that he was a kindred spirit or that he would someday be wedded to my dear sister.

I'm not sure how or when things were cemented between us, but the 2006 run (and months of training) certainly helped. It was my entry into the sport and I think I surprised him with my quick response to his challenge. I won't soon forget that summer; familiarizing ourselves with the 42Ks prior to game day, crossing the finish line, icing our wearly legs post race in the Oldman river.

Fond memories are good, but not enough. With a new roadbike in hand and a swimming lesson from Mandy under my belt, I have my sites set on the triathlon. The determination and focus from 2005/2006 have returned and it is good to feel it again. And if yesterday's swim session is any indication, this summer will be as exciting and challenging as the one three years ago -- but for the absence of my friend and brother who, as bouyant as one would think he might be, is apparently afraid of the water.

March 30 kpf

Monday cycle = 20 minutes (indoors on apparatus that threatened to undo my previous month of physio in one fell swoop)
Monday swim = 15 minutes (400 metres)

Please examine rubber chicken graph to deduce VO2 max analysis

20km ride: back in the saddle

Twenty clicks of brutal slowness. But felt good.

Short ride vomit index (SRVI), where 0 = a ride in the park with your kids and 100 = uncontrollable exercise-induced chundering....

SRVI: 35

Max speed: 69.58 kmh

Cals: 978

Total climb: 419 metres.

Moving speed: 20.13 km/h.

When I've been fit, I've targetted sub-12 for the first hill. Today did it (no wind) in 13.48. I want to do it in 10 mins. So a ways to go.

Average HR: 162. (20 beats more than when I've been fit.)

Average speed on 2nd hill was only 14.62 over the 6.2km. (Average grade 4%, but max grade of 11.5%.)

Derek's training goal

The last two and half years have been a wash for me in terms of physical exercise. First was a terrible Calgary marathon experience (over four and a half hours -- almost an hour longer than my first marathon); then a horrible ascent up Mont Ventoux (my fifth and worst ascent of that mountain, and I haven't been back); then injury before the London marathon; and then came two crashes doing the Etape (which I wasn't fit for, either).

In the next 13 months, I have the Great North Run, a half-marathon in the northeast of England; and then next year's London Marathon. I've got a place for both.

I also want to do some sportives in the UK.

Problem: I'm in the worst condition of my life. Way overweight (about 200 lbs!!) and doing no exercise. I want to get down to 160-165, and get back into shape.

It starts now.

And I'm going to thrash you into the ground, Kenny.