Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

What you need to know before climbing Skyuka Mountain Distance:  There are two ways to climb to the top of Skyuka. From Skyuka Mountain Road, the climb is 4.27 miles (to the scenic rock point, picture above). From White Oak Mountain Road, the climb is 4.06 miles. Elevation gain:  Start at 1061 feet and finish at 2883 feet (total gain = 1966 feet). Grade:  According to my Garmin, the average grade is ~8% (from both sides). There are several very pitchy segments that range from 11-17%. This is a nasty climb with no relief (recovery sections) from bottom to top. Road condition:  The road condition is poor. There are a few sections that have been paved, which is a real treat. You can expect cracks, bumps, debris, water, trees limbs and bumps as you are climbing and descending. Scenery: This is a very peaceful climb with views of the mountains tucked beyond the trees. However, you likely won't be enjoying much of it as you'll be focused on the road ahead of ...

What you need to know before climbing Caesar's Head Distance:  The actual climb from Hwy 11 is 7.83miles. Elevation gain:  Start at 1078 feet and finish at 3228 feet (total gain = 2084 feet). Grade:  According to my Garmin, the average grade is ~5%. There is nothing crazy steep on the climb but there are two or three segments (right after a switchback) where the grade switches to over 8%. Around 5 miles into the climb, there is a short section that is "flat" - which provides a nice change and a great place to actively recover. It doesn't last long as within a few minutes, you are back climbing again. Road condition:  The road condition is ok but not great. There are several bumps and cracks. There are a few smoother sections that have been recently repaved, but it's more bumpy than smooth. While it's fine for climbing, there are some rough patches in the switchbacks - which requires excellent bike handling skills when descending on a switchback. ...

After a very tough 1:45 trainer session on Saturday morning, we ventured out to the Pretty Place Chapel so Karel and his mom could enjoy the beautiful view of the mountains. We then we went back to Triple Falls so they could see the covered bridge and high falls. The weather was a bit chilly compared to the last time we hiked but the trails were so quiet in the afternoon - it made for a peaceful afternoon in nature. We made a quick stop at the Flat Rock Bakery for some fresh bread (and a pepermint brownie - yumo) before heading back home. As always, Campy loved his afternoon adventure and slept the entire car ride home. On Sunday morning I had my longest training run in a very long time. I still get a bit of apprehension and worry on the day/night before a run. But with a good amount of time spent warming up with strength/mobility before each run, I am gaining more confidence and trust with my body. My run was not the typical "long run" of going out ...

After two weeks of training in Florida, it was nice to be back by the mountains. On Saturday morning, a small group of friends joined Karel and I for a long ride, which included almost 90 minutes of intervals on a rolling hill loop near Caesar's head mountain. Warm-up: ~45 minutes (ride to the start of the loop), constant rollers and a few short steep climbs MS: 6 x 10 minutes at Z3 mid to upper (odd: heavy gear, slower than normal cadence. Even: high cadence, higher than normal cadence) w/ 4 min EZ in between. Compared to the ride I did the previous Saturday in Florida (picture below) which included a short warm-up on flat roads, a 40-min TT effort on flat roads (drafting behind our friend Shawn and two other strong girls), a group ride (with about 30 riders) on flat roads, followed by a solo steady effort on flat roads (while the rain was falling) and then a cool-down in the pouring rain with puddles all over the ground (on flat roads), this is evidence that ...