Because it's "off season" (even though there is no such thing....I have convinced myself!), I'm gonna post some random stuff on things that are a part of my training. First off is my "Pain Cave"...back in SF Chris has a "Pain Cave" of his own that he holds twice a week for his athletes out there..everyone's hooked up to a Computrainer (similar to mine, but a little "old school" in technology compared to mine). The beauty for me is that I don't have Chris in my face telling me to push harder (I think I push hard enough...but then again, there are those days...;-)
First off, this is a "work room" with air conditioning (won't be used...ever!). Fridge is stocked with Gatorade (Perform during IM prep!), water, and that's about it (well, Costco orders back up into this fridge too, and right now there's a pizza as well...offseason rules!). It's a 46" LCD LED TV hooked up to a PC...running the TACX Virtual Reality Trainer Program that uses Google Earth to set up routes virtually anywhere on the planet...it is awesome, but like most technology, I am using it to only about 25% of what it can do. I can ride by Heart Rate, Power, Distance, Cadence, Time...it is amazing for inside workouts during the work week! I can program in intervals and ride away....then have a movie on, watch tv, and some day soon use Hulu and Netflix to keep me entertained. And, yes, I do see my family all the time and no I do not live in this room! You can see the trainer on the floor that is hooked up to the pc, and it also has steering control if I want to actually control the bike (that's pushing it for me though). The kicker is....the trainer actually returns power to our grid, so I can lower our power bill by riding...crazy!!!
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| Ironman Arizona Course is on the screen... |
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| TV with riding stats on the bottom of the screen with a movie playing over the top of the screen...perfect! Blu Ray player, cable box, and...vice grip...don't ask, don't tell! |
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| Fan (needed!), trainer with power control on the back, along with power return unit in the lower right corner. |
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| "Stuff"...all my bike tools, gear, supplies, and some nostalgic pieces...my first bike helmet (the silver one...covered with chiquita banana stickers), first bike frame (Steve Larson's TT bike (he passed away last year :(( that I bought for $300 in college---650 front, 700 rear....thinking of making it into a fixed gear bike), and a poster frame with pics, numbers and a poster from Wildflower...ancient!) |
So that's the Pain Cave! A local bike shop has this same setup, allowing you to pre-ride any course on the planet...I am grateful to have this awesome setup with the help of the guys at Airpark Bikes. With the recent touch ups I've made in this room, I think I better focus on the work versus play with the gadgets. Most sessions will be just the trainer and me...no TV, just the data---at least I hope!! Regardless, the point of this room is so I can have my family time first, then ride after dark, safely, without ever using a light or wearing layer upon layer of winter gear only to ride at sporadic pace and accomplish half of what I can with this setup...lucky me for sure, and if you live here and want to ride a certain course, let me know!
Cheers for now, the pizza is calling my name...
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