Getting in Shape

[pk]

I'll admit it. I'm actually trying to get into shape this year. So I'm paying a lot more attention to my ticker. In the morning, I'm measuring resting heart rate to see if I'm rested. I'm trying to ride at different intensities on different days, and am even doing dreaded interval workouts at least once a week.

It seems there's been a lot of changes in the philosophy of how to understand heart rate and physical exertion. In the old days, LeMond used to simply do different exercises sessions based on percentage of maximum heart rate. I think he had six levels ranging from 65% of max (long steady distance) to 100% of max (all out sprints). I guess below 65% of max, you get no increase in aerobic capacity.

However this seems all out of date now. Friel's book stresses the importance of lactic threshold as the key variable, not % of maximum. He says to figure out your lactic threshold, you should do a hard time trial for 30 minutes, and start your heart rate monitor after the first 10 minutes--that 20 minute average should be your lactic threshold. In the old days, LeMond called this the "anaerobic threshold" which he said was somewhere between 85% and 93% of maximum.

Then there are the Polar measurements. They actually do some sort of Fitness Test which generates a single number which you have to use in reference to a chart in the manual. The test also estimates what your heart rate max should be, so you can define different exersise workouts. The watch even tells you how many calories you've burned during each workout.

According to Polar, my stats are: 177 max, 49 fitness level and 38 resting heart.

Is anyone else doing this sort of nonsense? Or does it just mean I have too much time on my hands?

Anyone else doing anything to get in shape? Yeah, I can hear it how: "just ride, stupid!"

pk

[johnbryanpeters]

I'm of the just ride school. Every time I get instrumentation, I wind up focusing on it instead of just riding.

J

[turch]

just switched over to lite beer.

[sizlinseagulsoup]

I'm from the just ride school, which is probably why I am horribly slow :-\

[huff'npuff]

I'm just exercising to get into enough shape to exercise...... :-[

I'm from the to old to care school, so i just ride and hope for the best

[bob24250]

My goal is just to get into good enough shape to TRY one of PK's death march rides.. ;D I figure sometime around August. ......2009

I also use one of the Polars, but not sure how accurate the Own Index is. Last summer I lost 40 lbs, and quit a 1-1/2 pack a day habit and increased my riding 2 days a week. At the end of the summer my index was worse!

I am going to try it again this year. Got one of the body fat scales and going to commute a minimum of 4 days a week to work. Plus the weekend rides. If I can get my Polar software to work I will download my daily rides into that.

Bob

[CouchingTiger]

Let me know what you figure out when you get all of this sorted out ;)

All I can say is that I'm currently not rested. The past 3 rides have spanked me and I was toast on two of them. I haven't tried a fitness test in a couple weeks but was last at 40 with a 175max and a low 40's resting rate. I'll try and do more tests to see.

Last week I did a short (10.4 mile) time trial that had me at about 92% of my max rate for the average on that ride. I think that I had trouble recovering from that at this point in the season.

I then got in a couple EZ offroad rides and a big road ride Saturday which had me at 86% of my max for over 3 hrs. That crushed me. Sunday's 2 hr MTB ride was the frosting on an already burned cake. The Monday 2 1/4 hr ride was just pure pain from start to finish. All that I could muster was an 80% of my max for the avg and I never got above 168 max. My legs were toast and obviously my ticker was taking a beating as well.

Bottom line, it too early for this sh!t and I'm in crappy shape. I can manage the short, high speed sprints (less than an hour at +90% max) as my strength is still good but because my fitness is lacking, the more extended stuff (2+ hours) is killing me, and I'm not recovering from it for a LONG time.

-Couch

[bdee]

I'm of the "ride (or run, or hike) a lot" school of thought. I'm not sure that this leads to anything but being overtrained on a regular basis. This season I've actually started to give myself more time off between harder rides (like hill work). I have started to notice a difference in power and endurance over the last few weeks on rides where I'm rested. I have spent WAY more time on the road this year than in the past. I think following a program/workout schedule is easier on the road than in the woods. When I ride in the woods on weekends I almost never have a plan, I just ride at a comfortable fast pace (below race pace) for at least 1.5 - 2.5 hours and stop to eat a few times. Weekdays are fast 1 - 1.5 rides before work, again with no real workout plan per se. I think a large part of why I've never stuck to any structured plan is that I love to ride and be outside. I will cram in rides back to back for days on end when the weather is nice, then I'll go hiking or running at least once a week. At least I can sit on my a$$ all day at work to help recovery. PK - let us know how your program works out, althought I'm not sure you can get any faster than you already are without a motor.

[EVIL BOTA]

Unless your planning on racing...Is there any reason even to know all that heart rate stuff. I just try to work a little harder each time I'm out. I judge my fitness by not having to get off my bike at all during rides. At Pedros last year I wasen't in fastest rider,but I didn't get off my bike for any of the climbs..(other than the mud boggs.lol) Now I haven't been on a P.K. death march,but Maybe I would need to be in top shape to ride with you cats. Or P.k. with all this rain you just have WAAAAAAY to much time on your hands.

[pk]

Evil's got a good point. All this training stuff is probably only good if you want to race. I don't. I'm not even very competitive when it comes to group rides. But, at age 46, I do want to get in better shape. I also like to push myself. It probably has something to do with the euphoria of endorphins born out of seeing spots!

We rode a LOT last year... but I think my fitness wasn't that good. It doesn't matter how many 50 miles mtb epics you do, at some point you just tow the line and don't improve. Sort of like junk miles. They're fun, don't get me wrong, and fun is where it's at.

I'm not into the "training" mentality... but I'm curious as to how others are going about getting back into shape. So this year, I'm trying to adapt some training techniques w/o really training.

pk

[EVIL BOTA]

Honestly.I try to ride 2 days on the road and 2 days in the woods. I purposely have alot of hills on my rode routes. I ride @ an good pace 16-20 mph for 18-40 miles depending on time ;D(on a hardtail with road tires..lol)
But what I do is sprint all the hills.I try to either go @ a faster pace or move up a gear for all climbs. Plus I circut train with weights on the other days.. Now all I have to do is start this routine and I'll be on my way.. Steak and cheese has me in a headlock!

[If_Rider]

Everything I've read, which isn't much, says you need a lot of "base" miles before introducing sprints or intervals into your workout. I guess the point of that is to secure a moderate fitness level before you start pushing yourself. I try to do some intervals but its hard when riding on the boring road alone. That and I haven't decided how many base miles are enough yet. Maybe in August???

I've found the best workouts are chasing riders faster than you around trails you don't know in the dark. :o

I have to agree with the recovery comments. I usually have some of my best rides after a few days rest which for me means being off the bike but not necessarily sitting in my recliner either.

As I turn 40 this year, my goal is to get in better shape than past years too. Though not a scientific approach, the plan is to commute (28 miles one way) a few days a week. Gonna start that next week, or maybe the week after or the week after that...

[MTBME]

Every year I say I'm going to take my road bike to work at least once a week to get extra milage in. It never seems to happen. It's sooo easy to talk yourself out of it at 6:30 in the morning when you can just jump in the car, turn on the radio and let the autopilot take you in. Besides the shower at work, the extra clothes, it turns into a big production.

I hate the sloppy mud at this time of the year so I hang back with the off road stuff for a while. I do get on my rollers once or twice a week. I go for about a half hour or so until I can't feel my member anymore. Than I know it's time to stop. I was gonna ride DSF this weekend but now it's raining again!

NB

[pk]

Lunch today:

22 minute workout on rollers.

5 minute warm up

4 repetitions of 1 minute full on, 3 minutes recovery

You wouldn't believe how long 1 minute lasts when you're trying not to fall off the rollers at high cadence. It's hard to stay smooth when your quads are screaming!

pk

[MrsCouch]

Lunch today:

Turkey sandwich
Diet soda
Chocolate pudding

;D

[bdee]

MTBME - go for the commute, it is worth it. I've been going through the same thing at 6:30 AM once a week for the past 5 weeks. I don't know how long your ride would be (mine's 40 round trip with some big hills on the way in), but it will make you stronger and if you have a stressful job it is a great way to start the day. Most things roll off my back on days I ride in the morning, whether I ride in on the road or I ride my MTB and then drive in from the park. I'm actually hoping to make the move to twice a week in May (hopefully it won't rain 4 out of 5 weekdays by then. Leave as much clothing - especially shoes - at work as possible, pre tie your tie etc. With a little planning it goes a lot smoother than you might think. Or drive in, ride home then ride in the next day.

[CouchingTiger]

OK, I went home early yesterday with the intent of riding but couldn't bring myself to head out into the rain. Instead I pulled out the borrowed rollers that I never used and gave them a try. Not much fun, as I expected.

I managed to get in 20 minutes before my lower end couldn't take any more.

-Couch

[ArmOnFire]

I know what you mean PK, I do a sprint interval session on rollers as well, I find that it keeps the short (30 min) roller workouts from getting too boring. One minute is a long time, especially when your road is 15" wide and feels like ice! (How rollers feel to me.) They will develope a smooth pedaling motion.

I have learned to stand up on rollers, to eleviate numbness, this is a must if you plan on riding over 30 mins. The best shorts won't help, have to stand.

I concentrate on road riding (95% of my riding time) for the beginning of the year, to build base miles, then 75% mountain biking after May.

I also do a century early in the year, this is a great gauge to compare to previous years (times=fitness levels, etc.).

I did the whole LeMond heart rate guideline for a few years, and noticed some improvements over my previous "just ride" mentality.

Another difficult matter, is that everyone is different, so what works for one rider, may not for another. I think its important to find a balance in training, that way it doesn't seem like you have too, thats the trick.

That's my $0.02

[radair]

Training? Heart rate monitors? I dunno, Philip, it sounds like you're ready to go on the race circuit.

I ride as much as I can squeeze in. I also played hockey one or two nights a week this winter - great aerobic workout - and XC & back country skied occasionally (shitty winter, usually ski much more).

I suppose being "in shape" is very relative. PK's typical death march ride might be too much for most of us, while he & Couch think they're in 'crappy' shape. Makes me wonder what the BOD ride Sunday at Lynn will bring.....

I must admit, though, that I've been whipping my kids to do hill climbing rides in preparation for Moab. My boy has been kind of digging it, my daughter more reluctantly so.

[CouchingTiger]

I got to thinking about it a little bit after looking at the results of last night's road ride and I think that I personally am way ahead of my normal fitness level for this time of year. Last night 4 of us did a road ride. We did a normal loop that we often do in the summer. This loop hits lots of nice rolling hills but no huge grunts.

We ended up doing 40 miles at an avg of 19.9 mph. I was running at a 153 bpm avg for the ride and was working hard but not dying. Doing that loop with a good, fast group is at best (for us) a 20.5 mph avg ride. Granted, I think I was a little more tired than I would have been mid summer but still, not too bad for April.

-Couch

[MrsCouch]

I agree with Couch (now there's a surprise ;)). I went out last night for my 3rd road ride of the season as well. Did a 23.5 mile loop at 17.6 mph. Not bad for so early in the season, and definitely WAY ahead of where I was at this time last year......

Oh - don't know my BPM, and don't really care.... I do know my lungs weren't keeping up with my legs.....

MrsCouch

[Quo Fan]

I get the crap beat out of me once a week by my Sensei, I beat the crap out of my students 3 times a week, and I ride on Sunday mornings. That's how I try to keep in shape. Round is a shape, too, you know! ;D

[EVIL BOTA]

What is your style grasshopper?

[Quo Fan]

Shaolin Kenpo Karate. I hold a 4th degree black belt.

[jaime]

To develop power, I have done the following: bought a Burley Piccolo "for my daughter." Now on sunny weekday afternoons after work/school or Sunday mornings I can tow her around Sudbury/Maynard/Stow for a dozen or so miles.

19 lb fixed gear (69.2 g.i.) + 19 lb Piccolo + 43 lb girl = 1 lg can of whoopa$$!

Also, 30 miles of commuting 3 or 4 days/week; fixie: yes girl&Piccolo: NFW!

pk if you get any more in shape you can add me to your list of former riding buddies...

jaime

[pk]

pk if you get any more in shape you can add me to your list of former riding buddies...


That settles it. I'm now officially on the Crispy Kreme / Harpoon Training Program. This involves a lot of chomping and imbibing in your Burley Piccolo, right?

pk

[radair]

I'm all about the Harpoon training plan. But you don't want to go too far with the Krispy Kreme thing. I've seen the KK Kalendar, and it ain't pretty.

edit - oops, I thought this was a smaller sized pic. Sorry, this makes it even more disgusting!

[MTBME]

Rob that's really cruel. I thought we were past this obsession of viewing women as sexual objects. I have to go now. I'm so upset I'm about to puke.

NB