Head for the Hills

Able to sustain 75% HRmax for >5 min using 50×19 @ 75-80 RPM and >1 min @ >95 RPM, but not able to recover to <70% HRmax using the same gear ratio @ ~70 RPM.  Used 50×21 @ ~70 RPM to recover to <70% HRmax in a reasonable amount time.

	Mile			Avg MPH			Avg HR BPM			Time
Lap	Climb	Sprint	Recover	Climb	Sprint	Recover	Climb	Sprint	Recover	Recover
1	0.14	0.33	2.84	16.7	19.6	14.3	151	168	151	11:56
2	0.14	0.33	1.21	16.5	20.1	13.2	144	165	151	5:30
3	0.14	0.33	1.28	16.8	19.9	13.2	140	166	151	5:51
4	0.14	0.33	1.54	16.6	19.8	13.1	141	166	149	7:03
5	0.14	0.35	0.87	17.3	20.8	12.2	142	166	151	4:17
6	0.14	0.34	0.68	16.5	20.3	11.9	141	166	154	3:25
7	0.14	0.36	0.96	16.8	21.4	11.6	143	170	152	4:57
8	0.14	0.37	0.66	16.8	22.4	10.8	143	170	159	3:39

Head for the Hills

	Mile			Avg MPH			Avg HR BPM
Lap	Climb	Sprint	Recover	Climb	Sprint	Recover	Climb	Sprint	Recover
1	0.13	0.35	1.38	16.1	21.0	13.9	153	165	148
2	0.13	0.34	0.50	15.6	20.4	11.5	135	158	153
3	0.13	0.33	0.17	16.0	19.8	7.2	136	160	156
4	0.12	0.34	0.21	14.9	20.2	8.6	135	157	160
5	0.12	0.32	0.12	14.7	19.2	5.9	136	157	159
6	0.13	0.32	0.19	15.9	19.3	8.6	135	162	161
7	0.13	0.34	0.18	15.4	20.5	6.8	137	162	159
8	0.13	0.32	0.14	15.0	19.2	7.2	135	159	161

 

Trying hard to ignore an upset stomach, I definitely was not in good condition when I attempted this workout.  I had a hard time recovering below 70% of my maximum heart rate while turning the same climbing gear at 70 RPM.

Celebrating 10,000 Miles on My LeMond Buenos Aires

Two years later, one accident, my ‘07 LeMond has served me faithfully. From negotiating the commuter traffic to climbing the Modjeska Grade, the bike and I stayed true, connected, ticking the gears away, one revolution at a time. What started as a hobby to explore our Irvine community with my wife has turned into a serious devotion to the sport, wanting to ride longer and faster, wanting to climb and conquer that next hill, building more confidence and getting stronger, one century at a time. My goals this year are set: new personal records at Marin and Amtrak Centuries in August and September. See you there!

Why Does My Weight Rise After Long Rides?

Q:  Last season I logged more than 5,000 miles to prepare for a big cross-state ride. However, as I added distance, my normal 156-lb. (71-kg) weight would increase as much as 8 lbs. (3.6 kg) in the 2-3 days following a hard, long ride. And to make matters worse, I was ravenous during those days. Is this normal? I’d like to prevent the same thing happening this season. — Jeff R.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies:  I’ll give you my take based on what nutritionists have told me as well as my own experience with long rides and multiday tours.

Generally, you gain weight following such rides because they exhaust your glycogen supplies. Glycogen is your muscles’ primary fuel. You’ve essentially done the depletion phase of the classic carbo-loading regimen.

After the ride, as your body replenishes glycogen in the muscles, you gain weight for one simple reason: Glycogen is stored with a considerable amount of water.

So, much of your sudden gain is water weight and will vanish during your next big ride. This water storage is one reason that glycogen-stocked athletes will say they feel "bloated" going into an event.

As for your appetite, sure you’re hungry — you just did an enormous amount of work, your metabolism is elevated and your body is in caloric debt. It compensates (maybe overcompensates) for the deficit. This would be bad if you weren’t right back into training. You’ll burn the extra calories that result from this feasting. But make sure that what you’re chowing on is wholesome and nutritious.

If you rode a consistent amount each week — say, 10 hours — your weight would probably settle at some moderate figure. But as long as you’re training hard and riding long, you can expect fluctuations. That’s normal.

Gran Fondo San Diego – A Birthday to Remember

The first annual ride was much tougher than I anticipated.  Hot, dehydrated, my legs cramped up several times.  It was to my own amazement that I finished; 95 miles, nearly 9 hours later and ~6,000’ of elevation gain.

A well organized event, overall; plenty of rest stops, portable rest rooms, and mechanical support, although I didn’t see any first aid station.  A couple of rest stops ran out of water but quickly restocked.  I’m most impressed with the well marked route.

I will most definitely sign up again.