unlocking the power

I've been able to get on the bike a few times in the past two weeks. So far the legs are feeling pretty good. This past 6 months I've been striving to do crossfit 2x a week, and then get on the trainer 2x a weeks.

My trainer plan follows the progression of the typical Morris plan but is much more haphazard with regards to the timing of the workouts. I sort of just go down the list and check one off an then move to the next one. I'm fairly pleased with the power outputs. Power is up from last year but I am not completing the full workout usually. So if the workout calls for 3x8min MSP I might do 2 of the sets. But power #s are 10watts or more higher which is significant.

The first days back on the bike hurt. The biggest limitation seems to be wind, meaning just getting air into the lungs. Not the huff/puff kind of wind during high intensity efforts, but more the aerobic side of just being able to get enough air into the lungs. My chest feels constricted.

But I feel this power in the legs. The kind of power that just needs some time to get used to the bike and get used to pedaling. In years past I've experienced this feeling early in the year several months past the lifting phase. That was when the strength/power in the weight room started to convert over to cycling specific strength. It manifests itself in the ability to push a biggish gear up a hill without it being a mashfest, but rather something approaching a spin. Maybe 60-70 rpm.

I've been scared to just go out for a 2hr ride, but have rather opted for shorter rides with some hills. The additional thing I've seen is that my core feels strong and hence feel good sitting on the bike. This leads to a more overall connected feeling. Telltale signs of having been off the bike include severe shoulder knots, neck knots, and tricep soreness just from being on the bike. The TP massage ball works wonders here.

So how does crossfit work with mtb/cycling? I think well to a degree. I've been doing it now for 6mos so have adapted a little bit. Overall body fitness is much better and am much more of a complete athlete vs just cycling. It will pay big dividends off road. There is good combination of strength as well as high rep. But I think for optimizing race fitness, the heavy strength work would need to taper some.

I still continue to see some patterns of fatigue/feeling very good now and then. Two week cycles seem the norm but sometimes I get taken for surprise. The other day I just felt terrible, but this morning I posted new PR in shoulder press and dead lift and matched my squat. Mornings w/o any breakfast-coffee seem to work best. 10am is bad, 1pm is slightly better.

275 dead lift. I weigh 130. My squat and overhead press are decent but for some reason my DL is very high given my size.