STP, Altitude Training and more

Welcome the first in this series of cycling blogs by me - Rod Daut.  some of you may remember my earlier blogs on the Rod Daut and Martha Flores Art Blog, some of you may know me from rides we have done together or by my Strava or Map My Ride posts of the last few years and some of you may have stumbled upon this blog by who knows whatever means; but in any and all cases however you got here I sincerely hope you will enjoy these cycling blogs and continue to read them for a good laugh if for know other reason. But seriously, I intend to give a good and interesting account not just of my riding, training and accomplishment (and failures) but of worthwhile cycling notes and information and descriptions of rides you may want to take yourself.

So; here goes: Today is still a bit chilly, but out the door I will go at some point perhaps I will ride to the Father's Day BBQ at the relatives house up Sunny Slope way. Have to keep training to be ready for the STP coming up in just under a month. Those who have been following me on Strava know that my Trek Madone developed a crack in the frame and so I am riding my old cross bike till my new frame is ready hopefully by the end of the week. The folks over a Cycle Central in Wenatchee will be setting it up for me.

Meanwhile, I spent 5 plus hours on the indoor cycle and treadmill yesterday while it rained outside, then went over to my friend, a recently retired M.D., who will be my personal support vehicle driver when I do the STP on July 16th. Our plan is to spend a few days camping at elevation on Mount Rainier just prior to the ride, so that I can get a little bit of that famous altitude training effect, which I can attest a very real.

I know personally of the benefits of training at altitude from have ridden the Mt. Evans Hill Climb last summer and the Bob Cook Classic up Pikes Peak the year before, and after each of these events, I found that on my subsequent rides that I was setting personal record left and right without even trying. This natural 'blood doping' effect lasted for maybe two weeks, then it was back to normal, meaning I would really have to try to set a personal record.

So, the hope is that besides training like made and working like never before to lose weight prior to the STP, I will get some additional benefit from the increased oxygen in my blood. That's the plan anyway. Lets hope it works, cuz 206 mile in one day is a big ask and the guys that I know who are doing it are pretty much way ahead of me in training for this as I have had repeated interruptions to my training this year due to some cancer issues (hopefully behind me) and a serious crash on the bike on My 7th. - more on these later perhaps or perhaps not.

Well, enough for now and up the road I must go.