Winter Riding in Vancouver - The Richmond Loop (65km)

One thing I when I first started riding in Vancouver I found difficult is working out where to ride. To help out I am "documenting" some of the routes for riding and running I use as part of my training.

The following loop is a staple of many of a group ride and is a loop that I use quite a lot of the time. In terms of traffic tends to be better than some other roads and is definitely not a hilly ride. I have mapped this route out starting in Steveston but you depending on where you are riding from there are many options to join the route to do the loop.

In the winter this is a pretty good option as if the weather turns bad the allure of coffee in Steveston always awaits. In summer the eastern part of Richmond is good for doing TT work and intervals and is where I do a lot of my IM pace efforts.

The loop is about 65km plus whatever it takes to get to the start. So for most people this ends up being roughly a 80km ride.

The following link http://www.strava.com/routes/77931 has cue sheets and the ability to send it to your Garmin and below is an example of the last time I used this for a training ride.

The Vancovuer Stereotype

Did a run out of forerunners today. Pretty cruisy group workout from Forerunners but with temperatures hanging around the zero celsius mark takes a little bit of warming up and you start to realize that the 26 bones in your feet do have feeling.

Anyway as you run down the foreshore near Jericho beach and see the snow covered mountains across the bay ahead of the opening of the local mountains today and see people running and walking out int he morning air you reliase life ain't to bad. If the day turns out anything thing like last Sunday and there will be people running, skiing, biking, kitesurfing, golfing all within 30 minutes of the downtown core. May have to start running biking with a camera ot get shots of days like this

So with my new motto of NFE dragged myself out of bed into the cold for the run. Got home and watched the NBC Ironman Hawaii special in which Chrissie Wellington and Crowie (Craig Alexander) won the big show. Cool to see the other stories like Ricky James (paraplegic who did the swim in 1:18 and the whole race in under 13 hours).

Anyway off to stock the fridge for the week then some time on the Trainer watching the soprano's or office space and then off to the pool tonight. Some web design work to be set into that mix.

The Boring Numbers

Run
Around Spanish Banks and UBC
13.15km 1:07 (5:05 per km)

Swim (Van Aqua)
1700m

Friday Night Lights and NFE

First snow in Vancouver today but turned to heavy rain. Luckily I have had my snow tires on for a while and are part of the great snow tire shortage of 08. Anyway tired to do my tempo run in the pooring rain at point grey track (still in love with the blue). Details below but awesome having track to myself and the lughts from the soccer training going on in the infield.

New slogan for 2008 and the start of 2009 is NFE (No Freakin Excuses - or something like that). Started that mantra by draggin my sorry butt to the pool for a workout.. Worst and best workout for the week. Worst because I can't swim for my life but best because I forced myself to leave the house and hit the pool. Aim is pool 5 days a week minimum from now on.

The Boring numbers

Track Workout
2 Mile Warm Up with strides
5km Tempo Run 18:37 (3:43km)
1 Mile Warm Down

Swim Workout
4 x 500m Freestyle

The Need for Speed

Pacing a lap seemed to be our Eleanor tonight when NC and I hit the track at Point Grey. Lessons Learned;

• Need to learn to hit target pace
• Shutting it down like Usain Bolt is only cool when you are winning the olympic gold not when trying to hit a split
• Point Grey Track rocks
• Off season after training food (Flying Wedge Pizza) is fun but most probaly not part of the long term plan
• Love my Newtons - have road run, trail run, cross country run and track run on this week and they rocked although a little bit slippery in the cross country.
  

The Boring Numbers

3 Mile Warm Up with Strides

6 x 200m/200m (0:37/0:33) [Total for 400m - 1:10]
1 Min Rest between sets

Set 1 - 1:13; Set 2 - 1:12; Set 3 - 1:10; Set 4 - 1:12; Set 5 - 1:12; Set 6 - 1:16

8 x 400m (1:20) 2 x 400m (1:15)
1:30 Rest between sets

Set 1 - 1:16; Set 2 - 1:16; Set 3 - 1:19; Set 4 - 1:20; Set 5 - 1:19; Set 6 - 1:22; Set 7 - 1:22; set 8 - 1:20; Set 9 - 1:12; Set 10 - 1:14

3 Mile Warm Down and Stretching