Training Zone update

Yesterday I got my new training zones. I was a little disappointed in the test Tuesday. I finished the test and did not feel as strong as I did while training last week. The results were not as bad as I expected, but knew that when my heart rate was high while warming up, it was not going to be a great test.

I got to Trivantage at 5:45 am. The test was scheduled for 6:00 am. So I got the bike on the computrainter and started warming up. The bike did not feel quite right, I felt like I was leaning to the left and could fall over at any time. I can't help but wonder if my heart rate was high because I was also trying to fight the "I am going to fall to the left" feeling.

Anyway the test started at 130 watts and I felt good up till about 220. I was able to finish the stage at 250 watts, but could not go on. My heart rate was up over 186 (max is 196) and I just did not have any more strength in my legs. I was not short of breath though, so I was probably not properly rested, and/or I was a little dehydrated.

The results of the lactate test increased my zone 1 a little. I went from 130-170 watts to 140-175 watts. I don't know that I trust my heart rate training zones because they changed from 136-151 to 153-163. Which matches up pretty close with my old zone 2 and low zone 3.

I was supposed to be on the bike last night, but I have been a little tired since taking the test. I decided to skip the training last night and skip the weights tonight. Back to the training this weekend. I think I can do 60 minutes each day. :-)

Cold, Wet, Holiday Weekend

Burr, Saturday the weather was very cold for Houston. It was about 36 when we left the house to ride. Vanessa, Gary and myself went to Hockley and rode with Northwest Cycling Club. The goal was to ride 2 hours in zone 1. It was slow to warm up, finally after about 10 miles I was fine. While I was moving I was ok, I reached a point where I was generating enough heat to feel comfortable I was sweating but did not feel hot. Which made things really cold once I stopped at the regroup point.

Sunday was a bust. We had a Christmas party Saturday night so we did not get up early. Then add to the fact it was raining Sunday morning, we did not even put the bikes on the trainer. I was going to ride Sunday evening, but after getting up late, running errands and such, I really did not feel like staying up 2 more hours to ride the bike. Oh well!

I feel better after the ride.

Yesterdays the ride was good. I went to a doctor that worked on the pain I have been having in my hip and legs. After the adjustment the ride was much more comfortable. I did not move on the bike as much as I normally do. So the Dr visit was worth it. It turns out the pain in my hip is the indirect cause of all my issues in both legs and feet.

If you are interested in reading about the doctor you can check it out at Airrosti Centers website. I found out about the doctor through my trainers at Trivantage.

After this weekend I head into a recovery week and a lactate threshold test next Tuesday.

Back into the training routine

After taking yesterday off, I am now back into the training pattern. I did my hour on the trainer last night and have another 30 minutes scheduled for tonight. I did notice one thing last night that was pretty cool. I can see a difference since I started seriously on the trainer. Last night I was doing the same workout and my average heart rate was much lower than normal. In fact the highest my heart rate went was 155. In the past I have seen upper 160s and low 170s on the same work out.

I have another test scheduled for next Tuesday to see how much my training has improved my fitness. If last night is any indication, I should show some decent improvement.

Bad Weekend for Training

Well, Saturday morning was cold. We did not go ride outdoors like we planned. So indoor training it was.

Vanessa and I were supposed to ride 2 hours both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I set Vanessa Up on the CompuTrainer, but did not ride myself as we had errands to run. I was planning to ride that evening but once we got home, there was no way I was going to ride for 2 hours. So off to bed I went. Woke up Sunday morning and Vanessa decided that if it was below 50 F, she was going to ride indoors.

I got on the trainer and rode for an hour. My heart rate was high and would not go down. I was not physically exhausted, but we had plans later in the day and Vanessa still had to ride. So I cut it short and let Vanessa ride.

So out of an intended 4 hours of riding, I only rode 1 hour. Not a good weekend. Time to get back into the training plan. ;-)

BP MS150, here we go again.

Well, I am signed up for my 3rd ms150 from Houston to Austin. This is a 180 mile bike ride from Houston to downtown Austin. The ride will be August 21st and 22nd, 2007. The ride is capped at 13,000 riders and is the largest MS150 in the country.

If you would like to support my ride to Austin and help the National MS Society, a donation would be appreciated. You can donate at the following link. Donate online now.

This year the ride filled up on November 10th. Several people who normally ride did not get signed up in time.

Since it is now 5 months till the ride, it is time to begin the training . For the next few weeks my plan is to ride outdoors on the weekends, and on the trainer through the week. I also plan on a little weight training to increase my general strength.

Watch here for my training progress.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog site. I will be updating my thoughts here over time.