Four Corners Headwind: Bring It On

Did you ever have a ride where, every direction that you turned, the wind is blowing in your face?  Well this is the way it was today.  When a cross-wind finally blew me into the middle of the road, I started praying for an echelon!! God please send one!!!   I really miss the peleton, at times like these I forget how much protection you get.  Now mind you, being a big guy,  I am used to being wind-fodder in the peleton, to be discarded when the genetic lottery winners, take off.  Hence, in my old age, doing RAAM feels like my last kick at the can. :0)  I have been dieting a lot (restricting calories), to get my height weight ratio to be under 3, but I know I am losing strength.  I need to start hitting the weights again.  Anyways, I digress.   So my goal today was to do the following during a 4 hour ride:
3x20min LT  intervals
8x3min Intervals VO2 Max power
8x1min Intervals  135% FTP

I head outside, it is a beautiful day, my type of weather.  Except for a monstrous headwind.  I have never felt one this strong.  I had a nice warm up, and the legs were just tapping out 33km/hr easy.  I was feeling good.  I got to the flat section where I was going to do my intervals.  Into a headwind 3min @ 37km/hr.  The old legs are starting to fire again.  The 1 minute intervals I held 42km/hr, again into a headwind.

Because I had to ride in the drops pushing a big gear, my lower back started hurting and is a bit sore after today's ride.  This is one of my key workouts, and it went really well.

My next key workout is a 12 hour ride, really slow, working on nutrition.  I am still trying to figure out how to eat 670 calories an hour.  Now Joe Friel has a product that I want to try,  Going Long.  If anyone has tried this and found it useful let me know.   I really like First Endurance products, they are research based and really work.  Well I am off to take a shower, eat some grub, and get some work done.  I have a clients logs to review and training programs to write.  Till the next time.