I had a break. Well several breaks really, and a fall (with no breaks, just pain!). But I’m back on the bike and racing – and training – with the intention of staying race-fit until the “road season” (which is Aussie-speak for our winter as we do track and crits in summer). We shall see. Although I raced at least twice (maybe 3 times) back in October/November last year I have taken January 2010 as the “real” starting point. I am training, rather than just riding, and trying to have an influence on the race.

So here’s an iBike power-meter view of what was race 2 for me in 2010. I was carrying a hamstring injury (of all things) and wasn’t sure how hard I could push it – I could feel a twinge of pain when I rose from the saddle or pulled up with the right leg – so I “sat-in” as any old ex-Randwick-Botany racer would do and just followed wheels. For the 2nd race in a row – hey this is only D-grade at CCCC’s Lucca Rd circuit, don’t get excited – I got 3rd place. But I contested the sprint and didn’t ever feel like getting dropped. Average speed was just under 33kmh for the 30mins + 1 lap. Nornalised power (my own formula with coasting “zeroes” removed and weighting given to “power-on” rather than “slacking off”) was just under 200W (seeing as how I have been cracking 200W training it shows that I was taking it easy, but the iBike is also not that great at measuring power whilst sucking wheels, either). You can see that the sprint (end of the bike race, folks) was the only time I exceeded 50kmh but we cracked 40 every lap. That’s on a downhill but there was a headwind!!) There’s a small but painful “rise” that starts at a left-hand turn (so only the brave really take a run-up at it) every lap and the wattage hit 450-600 every time up that incline as someone always “had a go” to dislodge a few non-trainers. There’s also a smaller power peak each lap just after the “big” hill and past the start-finish straight where we go left again and kick up a smaller but noticeable gradient. The speed rises once more as we hit that gentle climb – must be enthusiasm or the excitement of it all. If you took this seriously you could train to these conditions and increase output in key situations. You could replicate the course or sections thereof and impose repeated loads. Or you could use this race data to optimise race speed whilst keeping the lid on over-enthusiasm, power-wise. Hang back a bit, save the powder as it were. Now you could do this without a power meter – heck, I raced for more than 20 years without one – but it’s so nice to get pictures, isn’t it?

Onward, ever onward. Even at 52.

Posted via email from gtveloce’s posterous

Filed under No idea where this one goes by Rob.



Airline timetables_0761

Originally uploaded by gtveloce


Would you believe I have stashed away these 1970s-vintage airline timetables for posterity?

Weird, I know. But printed material of this nature – anything at all, really – is fast disappearing. You may not recognise it yourself but paper as an office “staple” has been on the slide for at least 30 years. With every passing year more paper invoices, receipts, tickets, timetables, instructions, labels and “forms” are replaced by an online equivalent. Once gone they won’t return. Not that I’m a Luddite, far from it. I just like to document some of the simplest, perhaps least important details of our human civilised history as it passes….

Filed under No idea where this one goes by Rob.



Wet day, a camera, some fruit and flowers. You are warned.

Originally uploaded by gtveloce


Another shot on this perfectly-lit day.

Filed under No idea where this one goes by Rob.



Wet day, a camera, some fruit and flowers. You are warned.

Originally uploaded by gtveloce


Some light rain and even light under a cloudy sky – perfect!

Filed under No idea where this one goes by Rob.



Wet day, a camera, some fruit and flowers. You are warned.

Originally uploaded by gtveloce


Some light rain and even light under a cloudy sky – perfect!

Filed under No idea where this one goes by Rob.
Filed under No idea where this one goes by Rob.
Filed under No idea where this one goes by Rob.

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These posts represent my opinions only and may have little or no association with the "facts" as you or others see them. Look elsewhere, think, make up your own mind. If I quote someone else I attribute. If I link to a web site it's because I have visited it myself and wish to refer to it, however that linking doesn't denote, imply or suggest any ownership, agreement with or control over that content. If an advertisement appears it's because I affiliate with Google, Amazon and others similar in nature and usually means nothing more than that... the Internet is a wild and untamed place folks, so please tread warily. My posts do not constitute consultation, advice or legal opinion of any sort.

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GTVeloce blog by Robert Russell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.
Based on a work at gtveloce.com.