Keeping Up With Myself

I've started keeping a training log. Having bought a Garmin 800 Edge some while ago and  mainly for the mapping and sat nav guidance, I thought it about time to put the vast quantity of data that is produced on each ride to good use. A particularly good feature is the compare activities functions, where you can monitor any improvement or change in performance.

The Garmin has a virtual partner function whereby a little graphic of a man pedalling furiously, indicates whether you are ahead or behind where the computer thinks you should be. After the first ride of a single course, virtual partner then measures you against the best time you recorded.  This can be either a benefit or demoralising depending on the kind of day you are experiencing. I usually scroll to another page.

So, it is said that monitoring your performance over time can be both motivating and demonstrative of how you are improving. I learnt a while ago that one ride a week wasn't going to get gain me any improvements. My (at least) twice a week regime is paying dividends. I can see from the charts - I started out using a spreadsheet and I would recomend this to anyone. It can be as simple or as complex as you like.

The Excel spreadsheet however gave way to the data already listed out for me on Garmin connect, a place where you can upload your activities and as previously mentioned, compare activities.

But how do you know you are improving? There are after all a lot of variables to take account of. Weather, road conditions or surface changes and wind speed and direction. I even found that different times of day can seemingly make a big difference. The internet recommends you repeatedly ride a route every 2 weeks or so and make a note of the conditions and any variables. I chose the route below as my standard.

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=412419

I used to monitor improvemnets in two ways. Firstly, by seeing how much faster I am versus that predicted by the toaster software and secondly, by a complex calculation I have devised which takes account of distance, average speed and elevation gain. Neither methods worked well but it amused me for a while.

The Garmin data is useful however, showing you speed and pace along the route and highligts where you were quick and where you were slow. It allows you to add notes as well, so I make a note of the weather  conditions. So, have I got any better between the first time I rode the so called "Petworh 50" in May and the last time on Wednesday 20th June. The answer is: I think so. By about 1mph or 5mins under similar weather conditions. I did note that it was almost effortless on Wednesday 20th June and also noted that I climbed the infamous Three Gates Lane, a 10-13% 150m ascent which comes at the very end of the ride, without much difficulty at all.

Mind you I did have a sugary raspberry Ribena drink on the way home that night...... 

Still Room For Improvement

No more excuses. I know where my weeknesses are now. I've improved my downhill technique, upped my speed on the flat, have greater endurance and have conquered any fear of tackling exceptionallly steep inclines. I'm doing about 160Km a week. I have a 9 to 5 job. My weekness is now climbing speed. Its been evident now since I kept getting overtaken on the climbs in the little lumpy sportive - only to retake my position on the downhill.

I was staggered at how this lack of climbing speed affected my ability to keep up with main group in a club ride out to Box Hill the other week. Whilst on the flat, although difficult enough, I kept nicely in with the main group. Come the hills and I was lagging behind.

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=412395

The magazines tell me to do the following:

1) Lose weight and Thus Increase My Power to Weight Ratio. I'm 6'8" and 90KG. Any thinner and I'd be starting to look unwell. I could lose a few more Kilo's maybe.

2) Reduce Bike weight. At about £1 for a gram reduction in weight, on an already fairly light bike (8.5ish Kg) weight reduction is going to be expensive and probably not worth it. Having already fitted Kysirium Elite wheels, the best I could hope for is shaving off another meagre 300grams with a new crank. They cost about £380. This doesn't seem like good value.

3) Climb in Low Gears. Already got that one in the bag. I run a 12-27 on a compact. Any lower and the crank would double up as a winch. Spinning up hills, although easy on the kees, isn't improving my climbing speed. I could fit an ultegra 11-28, but as I have found with this configuration on my tourer, the gaps are too big for smooth gear changes.

4) Change Up if You Stand Up. Check. I've been deploying this technique for a while. The trick is not to go too early. Most people go too early. I like to sit as long as possible, which brings me to point 5.

5) Sit For as Long as Possible. Nature dictated that this was always going to be the best way for me. What I have found is that by going on to the drops and sitting, I can spin in a higher gear whilst going up hill. I believe this to be counter intuative but effective.

There is another point, which the magazines and internet fail to mention however, and that is by riding hills more often youwill improve your climbing ability, simple. I havent been avoiding any hils for sure, but this could be the first year of sustained training. I'm expecting a result through the natural course of events. This includes, eating and sleeping well and most of all, maintaining a thrice weekly ride programme.

http://www.active.com/ Get on Up: 5 Ways for Cyclists to Improve Their Climbing.