How Far Behind…

 …am I on training for this Fall?   Not sure.  The harsh reality of Summer here in the Valley is long rides suck the life outta ya if:

• The heat out there creeps past 95 degrees…
• You haven’t ridden enough to acclimate to riding in those temps…
• You decide to ride harder than ya probably should…

Twice last week I got out on the Canyon, Wednesday & Saturday.  Wednesday went so poorly that I decided to ride the same route Saturday to see if it was the day (and day before) or am I that FAR behind.

Back up a bit - as I wrote on Tuesday, those intervals were hard but not draining.   Or so I thought.  I wanted a simple, Zone 1 to 2 ride in the heat to recover… and acclimate a bit.  Wednesday morning I was out by 7:00 or so… high 80’s, partly cloudy and kinda nice.  I was gonna shrug off the ride to do some yard work but that went by quicker than expected and I felt good.

Roll out Acoma, over the 51 and left on 28th.  Ease up Voltaire, over to 24th… and this was where it felt like the wheels were loosening up.  The clouds were GONE and the heat was well into the 90’s.  Cross over the top and down the other side, over the 51 again and into the ‘hood by Dreamy Draw.  Power across 40th to Fanfol… and when I rolled down 44th, it was there.  I was in a bit deep.

My energy was drained.  My legs were achy.  My heart rate was steady in Zone 2 and would stay there til I got home.  I was borderline useless til late afternoon.

The next two days were spent recovering…to some degree.  I overdid it a bit more the next morning working in the backyard… not anything so strenuous, just pressure washing the patio.  3 hours in the morning heat (from the mid-90’s to low 100’s) and the rest of the day would be spent rehydrating.  Friday was NOTHING - easy stretching in the pool, lounging a bit… in between errands & chores.

Saturday I feel good despite not sleeping well.  Eat some breakfast, suit up after filling bottles… and roll about 6:30.  Like I said, the route was the same… and as soon as I hit Acoma, my legs responded much easier.  Over the 51, left on 28th and when I turned right on Voltaire, I just let my legs settle in - not hard enough to push my heart rate past Zone 3 but hard enough.  Down the other side, right on Joan de Arc and out to 24th.  Still… much stronger feeling than Wednesday.

Cross Cactus and start up 24th with no intentions to go deep.  Even with less heart rate, that longer effort had me feeling sickly at the top.  That was when I peered around and realized there were no clouds and the ambient temperature on the Garmin was into the 90’s already.

Back off… until cross Dreamy Draw Path and I let my legs do whatever they feel they are gonna do.  Cross 40th… and I am feeling better.  Not spry and punchy but… good enough to keep going.  I turn right after veering onto 44th and cross Shea.  Ease into Paradise Valley and decide, “maybe I will hit the basic climbs”… mainly Mojave to Hummingbird.

Now I still felt good… but not great.  I knew the heat was creeping in but I also knew there’s only one to acclimate.  Right onto Mojave and chunk it down a few gears.  The tension in my legs is minimal, minimal enough to push my fat ass up that grade.  Down Foothills, right turn and onto Hummingbird.  The heat is creeping in and it’s becoming a bit more than I want to endure this slowly.  Stand and hammer over the top, setting myself up to just suffer even more up the last STEEP bump.

Settle in, hear a dude click gears behind me as he passes.  I watch as he passes a dog-walking woman ahead, her back to traffic.  As I get closer, she decides she is gonna cross the road.  I veer HARD left just in time to barely miss her.  The dog was smart enough to watch where he was going… but this woman, clueless.

Around the corner, spy gear-clicking dude ahead… as he apparently got his effort out.  Over the top and he’s gone… so I assume no cops are watching.  I kick the gears over a bit harder, tuck down and see 43 mph.  Down to Mockingbird, left turn and it’s clear I am closer to done than I want.  Ease up the road, weave to avoid road construction and get to Morning Glory.

At this point about 90-100 minute have passed and it’s a slow uphill grade home.  Weave through the golf courses watching my heart rate:

• Push any effort over 16 mph and my heart rate creeps into Zone 2…
• Keep the effort below 15 mph and I can cruise home in Zone 1…

I cruise home easy…

The rest of the day was good - no real deep fatigue hit, no urge to nap… except for when I was watching something boring on TV after lunch.  That was maybe 20 minutes before I was up and piddling around the house.  Yesterday was an OFF day after running Meghan to the airport… which dumped me back at home around 7:30, 8 am.  Late enough I didn’t wanna suffer outside, early enough to work on some other projects outside.

This will be an interesting week - it’s (supposedly) the last week with temps in the 110-plus degrees for an extended time (it’s been over 110 from 11am til mid-to-late afternoon for the last two weeks).  The plan is to incorporate a heat acclimation tactic a friend told me about.  He rides 30-45 minutes most every morning in the garage with no fan & no A/C… easy Zone 1 power but steady.  Leaves him soaked… and while it seems simple, he says he has felt good all Summer on the two group rides he leads on the weekend.

My heat acclimation rides have not been HARD… but they haven’t been easy either, not like I used to make them.  When I started doing these rides in ‘18 or ‘19, it was Zone 1 for much of the ride, maybe Zone 2 on the steepest portions (like Starlight Wall or the last bump on Hummingbird).   Seemingly, my month off has left me with less “heat fitness” ‘cause my outdoor rides always seem to force me deeper into my reserves than expected.

So… I figure, “why not?”  I will try Barry’s method.  Granted, this week will focus on THAT… while next week will be about prepping for the next road trip.  More on THAT later.