Ben trains at altitude; Jenna races in Poland

Day two we did a track workout, and I was dropped like a forgotten coffee cup on the top of a car – one turn and there was no coming back. From there, it seemed like I was starting to adapt. The coaches told me it would get worse before it got better, but by the time the weekend came around, I was starting to feel pretty good. I did a long run on Saturday and joined in on a large group ride on Sunday. I had my Quarq Cinqo power meter hooked up to the Edge 705 and I watched it carefully for the first part of the ride. It was easy to sit in the pack and spin out my legs, but after about 45 minutes, that didn’t last. We entered the gates of the US Air Force Academy, and the pace picked up immediately into a series of attacks. I forgot about my power meter display and fought to keep on the wheels in front of me. Looking back at the data file, I was averaging about 350 watts with bursts of about 800 to 900 watts all the way through the base. That was pretty much just to stay with the leaders, as I was still trying to acclimate to the thin air – not bad for a Sunday stroll.

The pace was less intense after the first two hours, and I ended up riding an additional climb with a few other athletes in the Elite Development Program, Matt Chrabot, John Dahlz and Bucky Shaffer. The climb is called “Gold Camp” and goes up from about 6200 feet to 7000 feet, where it turns into a dirt road and continues up to 7500 feet, then turns back into pavement and descends down Cheyenne Canyon back to Colorado Springs. After a hard four-hour ride at altitude, I feel wonderfully exhausted, so this week should be twice as much fun! Here’s a link to my ride in Garmin Connect. As always, check out http://bencollins.org see the latest news and results.

Jenna:
I have now been in Europe for just over 3 weeks. In that time, I have raced in 3 different countries. My final race, to complete the 3 races in 3 weeks, was in Poznan, Poland this past weekend.

I stayed in Kitzbuhel for the week following the World Cup in order to get in some good training before heading to Poland. There is not too much one can do between races, but knowing the area and having a comfortable home to stay in was important to aid in my recovery. Though I didn’t realize it until after I left Austria, Kitzbuhel is at an altitude of roughly 800 meters, so no wonder I was having more trouble breathing than normal! I also took the opportunity to go paragliding from the top of the Hannekahm, which is home to one of the most well-known and difficult downhill ski courses in the world. That experience was incredible and a bit symbolic, I think, as I was absolutely scared out of my mind but took the risk anyway. Lately, I have finally been able to race like that again, something that has been missing for the past two years.

On Friday, I flew from Munich to Poznan-Lawica airport. I took the day off from training to recover, but then did my usual day before the race routine on Saturday. Having my Garmin 705 was so helpful on Saturday as we were trying to sort out the race course and how many laps we would be doing. I was using it to measure the loops as well as to give myself an idea of how my legs were feeling on my efforts. When I had been training earlier in the week, I was finding it hard to really get above 35k/hr but the day before the race my numbers were up at 44k/hr when I was doing my efforts. This was a very good sign and a bit of needed confidence heading into the event. Check out my ride and the Poznan course.

It was extremely hot on race day. I thought it would be both chilly and a wetsuit swim in Poland, but I got neither, instead it was 34 degrees Celsius outside! I took off at the start of the swim and took control of the race. I lead out the swim and flew through transition. I found myself in the company of one other woman, Helle Fredericksen from Denmark, and the two of us managed to take a 10 second lead and turn it into 90 seconds by the end of the bike. We just kept pushing the pace and hoping the imaginary “rubber band” holding the chase pack to us would snap. It finally did after about 5 laps of hard riding! I dismounted first and was off running, but the heat was too much for me on the day. I struggled on the run but still held on to finish in 6th place. With that performance I have now climbed up to number 110 in the World rankings.

Now, I am in Sigmaringen, Germany to train for about 8 days before I head to London where I race on August 10. Having my Forerunner 405 and my Edge 705 here is great as I don’t know any of the loops for running and riding and they allow me to run and ride freely and to explore a bit while still keeping track of my mileage, speed, etc. Also, if I happen to get lost, I can find my way back home! I am really impressed at how seamlessly my devices have been able to pick up the satellite signals everywhere I have gone. I’m excited to take my 405 out into the woods later today on my hour run. Hopefully you are enjoying seeing the maps of my training from around Europe as much as I am.

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