Day 217

Went in for my 2nd 10km TT today and got my data back for both.  Pacing wasn't too bad, even though I've become a little dependent on my power meter lately.  It was hard to judge by feel alone, but I'm not sure I could have done much better.  The bike in the lab isn't ideal, but I can't see some slight changes in things like saddle position or using a cycling shoe/cleat instead of sneakers in a toe clip making too much of a difference.  My average speed and average power for both were very close, even though I started out a little harder today than the last day.  I wanted to see if I could maintain a harder gear if I tried, but I was losing strength by 3km.  I dropped down one gear and was able to settle into a pace similar to the first day.  Both days I averaged about 37km/h and 260W for 16:24 and 16:20.  I was 5 seconds faster the second day, even though my legs felt a little more tired.  These numbers aren't great, but I'm happy with them only 3 months since taking a break over the winter.  My VO2max continues to climb as well, which is also a good sign that my training is going well.  It was 57 in February, 67 two weeks ago, and it topped out at 73 on Friday.  I'll have to find someone to test it when I get back from France!  Nothing like 3500km of riding over 3 weeks to jack up your fitness!