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Damn Stelvio
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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

11/6/17 9:44 AM

Damn Stelvio

I rode it for 45 minutes yesterday on the trainer and got what appears to be nowhere. Because I'm slow, it takes forever to get up it and its 16 miles long. Looks like a few more trainer sessions.

I really like the smart trainer.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

11/6/17 2:12 PM

Stelvio is fun

It's also fun on Ergvideo.

Of course you might get a better time with an Alfa Stelvio.

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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

11/9/17 8:18 AM

The scenery once you get up to the power station area is worth the pain.

Guess its winter. I changed over to a kickr this year from a 20yr old computrainer (that was still going strong) simply because I wanted something with one less cable and direct drive. Kickr has a bigger flywheel and better feel, fwiw, but it amazes me what the ct did for its time.

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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

11/11/17 5:23 PM

Got to the alpine meadow above the first 2/3 switchbacks today in 1:30. Started strong, turned into a slug after the overhangs. Tomorrow will finish the summit climbs. Damn. Dudes raced this is the sleet.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

11/12/17 6:31 AM

Take inspiration

Scene of one of the great attacks in cycling history:

https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikeraceinfo.com%2Fimages-all%2Fgiro-images%2Fhistory%2F1953-Coppi-sullo-Stelvio.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikeraceinfo.com%2Fgiro%2Fgiro1953.html&docid=yrbChruoFIamHM&tbnid=ntbb_XrMXLJiVM%3A&vet=1&w=500&h=297&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

11/12/17 10:23 AM

Those are epic pics. Inspiring. I've got 12k left to go on it.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

11/12/17 10:34 AM

Very cool pics!

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PLee
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 3712
Location: Brooklyn, NY

11/13/17 5:33 PM

Holy Cow!!!

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

11/19/17 10:18 AM

Finished it!

Only because I just rode last hour, at a very reduced rate. Still fun to work through the hairpins.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

11/19/17 12:02 PM

Still riding outside

I normally goes into hibernation this time of year. But it’s been warmer than usual so my bike keeps speaking to me to go ride OUTSIDE!

It helps I now have a few crazies also interested in riding in the dirt roads in the woods.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

11/19/17 12:30 PM

I would be but

Wouldn't be prudent with the busted shoulder....

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

12/1/17 6:03 PM

I finished it today and I must say it's fun to go over the top. Tons of motorcycles were there on the day they shot the video.

I kept track of what my trainer says the calories used were. It seems that it thinks I used 5,000 calories on the 16 mile climb.

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Rickk
Joined: 01 Jun 2004
Posts: 528
Location: Montreal

12/2/17 1:47 PM

It's indeed a challenging climb - whether live, or on trainer.
Option B for free (for now) = BigRingVR, just in case anyone here doesnt hve a paid smart video software version of Stelvio or other climbs.

Short Youtube clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zTqHSv4hTWE

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Pino
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 168
Location: Apeldoorn - The Netherlands

12/13/17 12:09 PM

Which side did you ride?
Just did some 4 km from Prato in a new Tacx-program.
IRL it is still on the bucketlist. 3 times I was in the neighbourhood the weather was awful.

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

12/13/17 12:34 PM

I've ridden it twice from the Prato side, and I'm now climbing it from the Bormio side. I think the Prato side is prettier, as the snow covered peaks are seen earlier and it has more rhythmic switchbacks.

The Bormio side does not have snow until much later, but it does have more tunnels. I've got ~10k left to go on the Bormio side, my first time up this way.

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Pino
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 168
Location: Apeldoorn - The Netherlands

12/14/17 4:07 PM

https://www.strava.com/activities/1314187054

From Prato tonight, almost 3 hours, but pretty.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

12/17/17 12:44 PM

Last hour from the North

Rode that this morning at a reduced rate. I've been riding conservatively in view of my aneurysm, and I must say it's boring. The last and most accurate scan showed the aneurysm smaller than the previous imaging, so I'm no longer facing imminent surgery and am released to ride as I wish, though I have to kind of work into that mentally. Honkin' the full climb at full juice would be a good test....

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

12/17/17 1:01 PM

I finished it from Bormio last night. That makes 3 times I've done it which is about 45 miles of climbing. I'm only good for about an hour of climbing and then I just get tired.

On the other hand I don't like flats or descending on a trainer as it seems a waste of time. I therefore tend to just climb which is my greatest weakness. I'm better on something like Liege- bastogne- liege where I can power over short climbs.

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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

12/18/17 4:33 PM

Rode Galibier South yesterday. VERY enjoyable climb, mostly 4-6%, with only the tippy top being 8. A nice hour and a half. I even did a 20 min test at the bottom on the flats and made it up no issue. And the descent is rideable if you power the flats and soft pedal the curves, actually a good short interval effort.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

12/18/17 10:19 PM

Dan, do you care to share any of the approaches or therapies are you engaged in for the aneurysm? Diet/avoidance/emphasis?

A simple 'buzz off' is a-ok, you've earned the right for sure.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

12/19/17 5:56 AM

Aneurysm precautions

Happy to discuss these. I'm still learning and in some areas there is little research, so it seems there is some uncharted territory.

You want to avoid high blood pressure in general, and spikes in blood pressure from activities. So I've started low doses of metoprolol and atorvastatin, though I've never been treated for bp or cholesterol in the past. The clearest activity avoidance is heavy lifting or anything that causes you to "bear down" - specifically the Valsalves Maneuver, where you close the glottis and forcefully exhale (basically grunting I think). This causes blood pressure to skyrocket - so no moving refrigerators for me, and wood splitting and shoveling heavy snow are also off limits.

Otherwise diet and lifestyle are normal heart healthy, aerobic exercise is encouraged. I asked about high intensity riding up to max hr, and the surgeon and cardiologist thought that is OK, though I may take a bit off the top end. Not sure about stomping up 27% dirt Achambo Rd @2 mph at D2R2. But there is little research regarding high intensity exercise.

The surgeon in particular emphasizes I should "live my life" and not avoid trips to remote locations like Antarctica (or Aroostook County, Maine, where I am registered to ride BikeMaine next year).

Another scan in 6 months to see if the aneurysm is growing. If it's not, the monitoring interval gradually increases. The surgeon has one patient he monitors only every 2 years.

So it's a process, but overall I'm encourged. Thanks for asking.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

12/19/17 9:41 PM

Very interesting, Valsalves Maneuver, of course it has a name. The lifelong association of that sound to aging has always been a sign. Now it's shown to be part of a feedback loop.

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Rickk
Joined: 01 Jun 2004
Posts: 528
Location: Montreal

12/20/17 7:23 AM

Valsalva


quote:
Valsalva ... causes blood pressure to skyrocket - so no moving refrigerators for me, and wood splitting and shoveling heavy snow are also off limits.
Presumably, 'healthy diet encouraged' also means avoiding extreme constipation-related straining via valsava maneuvers
;)

Glad to read things are going better medically, according to your doc

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

12/20/17 8:20 AM

This is bad.

This morning I concluded the worst way to start your day is to jump out of bed, stand on your tip toes, point to the ceiling and stretch. </irony>

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

12/22/17 6:29 AM

I don't like hijacking a cycling thread but at least I'm leaving politics out of it.

Metoprolol and statins: My GP is unusual in that he talks science and research without prompting. Early this year he said ~"After initial patient screening, beta blockers and statins seem to have health benefits beyond their initially prescribed purposes. They've been on the market long enough that there is a large subject pool. We don't know why, but the data shows they extend life significantly."

Valsalva: Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I am surprised how many times a day I "expire against a closed glottis." Awareness is important.

Wikipedia article: Valsalva maneuver

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