The Cycling Thread

[maviczap]

Hey whats that maximum speed of 289 mph

I like my Garmin so much, I've just bought a 605 off Ebay. I'll sell the 305 to compensate, although the 605 was a good price used.

I've got a few miles to catch up with you Fizz, although I was never a milage muncher, short sharp efforts, as witnessed by my max BPM of 189 today.

Don't know if thats a good thing for a 49 year old, or not, my average BPM was a bit too high.

Its still too cold, although it was nice and sunny.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by maviczap

Hey whats that maximum speed of 289 mph

Dunno, pretty cool though eyh. Like you I love my Garmin, I wish I had bought it ages ago, rather than Polar I bought when I got started again.

I use it when I'm on the turbo trainer and I suspect the GPS at some point has got itself into a wobbly, so I suspect thats probably whats done it.

I'm on the milleage build up now. I've got the Tour of Wessex planned in my head for end of may like I did last year. But this year I'm considering doing two of the three days, so trying to get my base fitness up. But now also chucking some hill climbing into it to.

It was nice out today, gets cold quickly once the sun has gone down. Feet were getting cold for the last few miles of tonights ride, I dont like wearing overshoes, they make my feet sweaty.

[maviczap]

At the moment I have no big targets until later on in the year, just fitness.

Feet weren't too bad today, just getting cold at the end of the ride.

Trouble is with my working week on week off, the start of the week off I'm usually knackered from travelling and the first ride is really to tell my legs what cycling is about. So its start stop, start stop with my riding.

So with the cold weather too, I haven't done any big rides yet.

But I am way ahead of where I was last year

[fizzwheel]

I'm way ahead of where I was last year to. I havent had the big lay off that I normally have, and despite the fact I thought I hadnt done much I have been reasonably dedicated with the turbo trainer over winter. I'm out on the road way earlier than I normally am and am clocking up decent milleage now. Which I need to do in preparation for May.

[maviczap]

Turbo work is the one thing I haven't done this year, usually I don't have any problems doing it, but this year I've gone out on the road for a change

[fizzwheel]

It does get boring, I find about an hour in front of the TV about as much as I can stomach.

I'm out on the road alot earlier than I would be to. I dont normally start on the road till the clocks have changed.

[maviczap]

Yep, but I found that changing the routines was good for breaking it up.

I had Peter Read's 'Advanced turbo training with a HR monitor' which has different routines

It well out of date now, but handy to ring the changes

Turbo's good for maintaining a good steady BPM and not over doing it, like I tend to do on the road

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by maviczap

as witnessed by my max BPM of 189 today

WOW! Theoretically that is not even possible for a bloke your age, you obviously have a well exercised heart muscle. I know it is different for everyone and I have a relatively high maxHR for my age, but a full 10BPM below that. I maxed out at 180 in spin class last Thursday, had spots in the eyes, felt sick and all that

Fizz that is a big mileage and good to see you making plans to get out and do some events.

My training has been spin twice a week and out at weekends where possible on flattish runs around Shropshire with the CRAPI wheelers (Chris Ron Alan Paul Ian ) I'm going quite well I think. When the clocks change I'll be able to get out on the bike after work on my 30 mile hill loop. now that summer bikes are out at the weekends the going gets hilly.

Here is last weekends ride...
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/29227648

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

WOW! Theoretically that is not even possible for a bloke your age, you obviously have a well exercised heart muscle. I know it is different for everyone and I have a relatively high maxHR for my age, but a full 10BPM below that. I maxed out at 180 in spin class last Thursday, had spots in the eyes, felt sick and all that

I'm a bit of a sceptic when it comes to max heart rates for age, I believe its more to do with genetic's and physical make up. Everyone will have their own max heart rate and no one is the same. Some like me will be able to reach a higher rate for their age, others will never be able to get a high max heart rate.

I did see a higher max heart rate last year, but how accurate the reading was I'm not so sure. We'll see what happens this year with the Garmin.

Here's yesterdays Garmin stats. I was using the big ring to climb the tiny hills round this way and the 189 was on the final one. I was a bit stuffed after that

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/71807360

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by maviczap

I'm a bit of a sceptic when it comes to max heart rates for age, I believe its more to do with genetic's and physical make up.

Well me too! But I am impressed with 189! I think the only way to find your maxHR is to do a maxHR test for the sport you are doing (or each discipline of a multi-sport event) in controlled conditions. We used to do them once a season when my ex was racing, to get a basis for interval training mainly where a high heart rate was needed. They are bloody hard work though. Experienced riders such as yourself will know from how they feel if they are working hard or not.

The predicted maxHR based on age tend to be on the 'safe' side and different formulas come up with different numbers. Of course if you use heart rates to target training, then (for example) 60-70% of 180 is not so different to 60-70% of 190 which makes the maxHR a little moot.

I use the heart monitor for two reasons. Firstly was to protect myself when I first started training again, my dad had heart attacks at my age so didn't want to overdo it and secondly as a 'speedo' to how hard I'm actually working as opposed to how hard it feels, as I'm naturally lazy. After being dropped on Sunday I tried to keep it going at over 140 but that was a struggle, it felt really hard as my legs had simply had enough, whereas earlier I was hitting 160+ on the climbs with relative ease. 140 should have been a nice aerobic workout for me. Maybe I need to man up a bit