Wind Tunnel Testing

So let me start by saying: it is totally cool and FREEZING!!!!! If you have a choice, go to a wind tunnel on a warm day.... Today in Boston it is 23 degrees. Then they take that air from the outside and blow it at you - at about 50 mph....and you are in race clothes....fortunately you are in for about 1-5 minutes at a time...then they pull you out to warm you up.

Arrival at the MIT wind tunnel: ok those are the two pics above.....this is not working how I thought in terms of photos.


You notice how the guys that work there are putting layers on - many. First the bike 'as is' for racing is put in the tunnel and measurements are taken....then me - regular helmet, get in and pedal and try not to notice that your hands feel frost bitten. Again photos seem to all be going in on top....but you all are smart enough to figure it out.

We played with position - many spacers were taken out, hands were brought closer together and by the end my aero bars were angled up a bit (don't have a photo of that in the tunnel but will put one in later from CT).

Of course we played with helmets too - tried about 4 or 5 different aero helmets.... and believe it or not I had LESS drag with my regular old helmet....by the end we had my 'drag' down to about 7.9 pounds - a pound less than when I got there - oh we stripped off my non aero water bottle and cage and took off my spare pak....will have to rework that....perhaps back to a bento box....

last pic - me trying to get warm between rounds - hands on the heater....

good tired

Two weeks into OS training and I am TIRED....in a good way ;-)

bike tomorrow is now on the computrainer as my older son had a fight with his father and came here....I suppose if I wake up early enough I could ride outside - or leave him for a couple of hours....I just hate to do that to him...

First week of OS in review

I ended up doing part of IMOZ as my saturday ride - which was totally cool. It definitely made doing intervals easier.

Yesterday's run beat the pace I was supposed to hit but I am still really slow - and a whole minute per mile slower than last year at the same time. It will be interesting to see how I do on the thanksgiving 5k course.

My right ankle all the way around to my achilles hurts - though less after working it in the gym. Shamsule thinks we are breaking up scar tissue and there is now movement in there that just was not before...makes sense. No swelling and it did not hurt whilst running.

Ok, going to listen to the podcasts.....

First week of EN OS

This has been a tough but good week. It was probably a dumb idea to do the outdoor FTT last weekend though I am glad to have that data point coming off being sick. Outdoor FTP 186. Took the same bike indoors, and definitely a harder protocol, end of day (insert random excuse here) and indoor FTP is 151.
Just 12 hours later was 5k for vdot - not surprisingly I ran my slowest one ever - but that means there is only one way - up. Current vdot 32 ha!

I set up the computrainer and created a CS erg course for yesterday's workout - ok what a sadistic task master the erg mode of the CT is!!! wow that was hard!!!

I have not decided yet whether to do erg mode today or a course....having fun playing with this toy however!

Election day

I went to vote, but the line was ridiculous, so will go after I pick up younger son from school....

FTT test tonight. A whole world of hurt awaits me....

Mondays are hard

Even with the clocks set back.....
Did strength training today. Shamsule is honing his sadistic tendencies....He liked how my front squat looked today - so he added more weight.

I guess since I pay him that makes me a masochist. Wait I am a triathlete. Masochist would be redundant....

Fishies

So with the clocks turning back, an extra hour of sleep, you would think that I would have no trouble getting to master's swim - but it was painful. I blame the 2 beers with Boston Triathlon Team last night - gee I have become a lightweight!

Boston University Master's Swim - BUMS - somehow the coach did not make it, but we all did a workout anyway - I kicked my own butt. At the end Noah and I raced again. Always a good thing. I like seeing Noah having so much fun in the water.

Now I am wiped, but still planning a run...oy. It will be a short slow run I think!

Got myself out there (pat on back) and did a 3 mile run. It hurt. But I am glad I did it. Incredibly slow pace - like 10:15/mile. Ignoring the fact that I was sick, I still think I got slower running this year.....BEFORE tri training I ran a 5k at 8:15 pace. Not sure I will be able to hold that on wednesday for the vdot test.....

oh well at least I have the OS to get faster....

Saturday

Nice lazy morning - happy to not get out of bed too quickly. Outdoor bike TT today.....then the bike goes on the computrainer....for the rest of the winter in all likelihood.

I am amazed at how much fitness I lost being sick....it is a bit frustrating. I need to learn a bit of patience.

So I did not lose so much after all!! comparing to the same ride in June, I did about the same! 1 minute slower, so about the same speed, but slightly higher power - and much higher max power....average power was the same it was the normalized that was slightly higher.

chilling for a bit prior to heading out....