Halfway

December 26th, 2007 John Posted in Cycling, exercise 3 Comments »

After Sunday’s session “7A” of HIT, we’re officially halfway through this 13-week series. I definitely feel like I am stronger. I felt like the individual leg training was becoming easier, and so about that time it disappeared from the workouts. I didn’t mind the ILT’s, but some folks hated them. I feel I’m the weakest at the extended standing intervals, while other folks feel like those are a piece of cake. The beauty of these workouts is that you can easily discover what you weak areas are. You then need to discover the will to work harder and overcome those weaknesses.

Another halfway milestone is winter itself. We’ve past the winter solstice, so each passing day will have more daylight than the day prior. Somebody recently told be that they called winter “the tunnel”, which is a close enough analogy to work for me. Terri taught me many years ago that the “end of the tunnel” is in sight after the third weekend in January, as this roughly coincides with daylight after 5 p.m.

My last halfway milestone is “halfway wishing” I’d taken the advice of a few folks and counted by spin miles as road miles. I’ve now got less than a week to go to get my final 67 miles (for my 5,000 mile goal), and the weather icons on my browser have snowflakes for the next 2 days. Not a good sign.

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HIT vs Spin

December 14th, 2007 John Posted in Cycling, exercise 2 Comments »

At the conclusion of Wednesday’s HIT session, someone asked (wearing an elfish grin): “So, Calnan… how does HIT compare to spin class?”

High Intensity Training (a.k.a. HIT) is a structured series of cycling-specific workouts that you perform on your bicycle, whilst clamped into a stationary trainer. I am about to begin week 6 of this 13 week series of workouts.

Spin class (as my long-term readers may recall) are the mainly aerobic lower body workouts done at the gym on a stationary exercise cycle. Whilst the motion of turning the pedals is pretty much the same as on the bike, that is just about all the similarity between the two.

Equipment:

In spin class, we would use the Lemond Revmaster, a stationary exer-cycle. You can adjust seat height, handlebar height, and some forward and back seat positioning to approximate your bicycle, but it is less than exact. The cycle has pedals (obviously) connected to a big flywheel. Instead of gears, there is a resistance knob that puts more (or less) friction against the flywheel.

In HIT, you ride your bike as it is clamped into a stationary trainer. The bike should be equipped with a cadence sensor, and a heart rate monitor is helpful as well. The rear wheel of the bike rides against the resistance unit of the trainer, creating the workload. I have a fairly cheap magnetic-resistance trainer which has three settings of resistance, which I always have on the highest (3) setting. Put your front wheel on a block of some sort to simulate a fairly constant climb, hang towels all over to catch the sweat, and you are ready to go.

Environment:

Spin class takes place in a gym. The room is 67 degrees or so, and there is a large fan that blows on at least half the cycles for those that want the cooling effect. There is carpet on the floor, and hardbodies wandering around to take your mind away from the task at hand. 30 or so cycles are arranged in concentric semicircles, the prime space to “hide” is the middle of the back row where the fewest eyes land on you. Music is a fairly tight playlist (built around classics like MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This”, and Will Smith’s “Get Jiggy With It”), played at about 110 decibels. The music is occasionally interrupted with P.A. announcements that someone’s left their lights on, or the men’s toilet is backing up.

HIT class takes place in a 3 car garage. The garage is usually between 40 and 45 degrees. 10-12 bikes are arranged in a circle. There are old boxes of stuff on shelves to look at, but nothing to really interfere with the task at hand (except maybe that clown mask hanging on one wall… very strange). You can try to figure out if the stains on the concrete floor are shaped like States of the Union, whether cracks resemble nearby rivers, or compare the size of the pools of perspiration under the respective bikes. There is no place to hide on a bad day, everyone sees everything. Music thusfar has been a mix of Neil Diamond and AC/DC, but played at a more reasonable 80 decibels. This is easily masked by an iPod run at a moderate volume.

The Workout:

Spin is primarily focused on providing a cardio-type workout in the context of turning pedals. Pedaling is done at a cadence matching the beat of the music being played. At various points in the exercise routine, you will be instructed to stand and pedal, sit and pedal, increase resistance, and “sprint”, or pedal at a high cadence for short intervals. The workouts are technically not longer than 60 minutes, but you can attend the “beginner” 30 minute session just before the 1 hour session, extending your workout to 90 minutes.

HIT is a structured cycling workout, designed to increase strength, endurance, and specific neuromuscular skills related to cycling. Sessions vary in length, from 90 minutes to 2 hrs 25 minutes (so far). Exercises include:

  • Spin-Ups: pedaling at ever-increasing cadence until one’s knees de-laminate (highest cadence to date, 150 rpm).
  • Individual Leg Training: a series of 3 minute intervals where you pedal with one leg at 60 or 80 rpm. During longer HIT sessions you may spend 36 minutes doing these gems, just slightly more fun than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
  • Standing Interval: Switch to your hardest gear, stand and pedal for 30 mind-numbing minutes.
  • Surges: For the last X minutes of the Standing Interval, increase your pedal cadence by 30% or so for the last 15 seconds of each minute. We’re up to 10 of these during a 30 minute Standing Interval. The goals are to 1.) get your heart rate up to around 90% of maximum during the last two surges, and 2.) don’t puke.
  • Pace Interval: Sessions usually conclude with an interval of 5 to 10 minutes where you must ride at a sustained high cadence. Wednesday we did 10 minutes at 115 rpm. At the end of a 2+ hour workout, these are not necessarily welcome.

If I had to gel it down to a single sentence, I’d say that HIT is a cycling workout, while Spin is a workout done in a cycling context. Spin is first and foremost exercise, and any increase in cycling ability is a secondary benefit. HIT on the other hand is specific workouts targeting specific muscles and abilities to improve your cycling. For folks new to the fitness and cycling game, spin is ideal (as it was for me). For cyclists that want to raise their game to the next level, HIT is a good way to go for an off-season training regime. Just try not to puke in front of everybody.

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HIT #2

November 15th, 2007 John Posted in Cycling, exercise 1 Comment »

Last night was our second HIT spin session. I downloaded the heart rate monitor information this morning, and here is the plot of my ticker during this workout:

Polar HRM Plot

The sloping line across the top is Altitude, but as you can imagine I was stationary and the garage was not rising out of the ground. A storm cell passed over the area just before the session began, so I assume we’re seeing the change in barometric pressure. Interesting, but I digress…

The first three heart-rate peaks are spin-ups… intervals where you increase cadence at specified times to specified rpm’s.

The next six (smaller) peaks are Individual Leg Training (ILT) Intervals. One foot is clipped in and pedaling, the other is unclipped and propped up out of the way. I started out with my left leg, which is definitely the weaker of the two. While I knew at the time that my perceived exertion was greater on my weaker leg, the HRM plot really shows how much harder I am working to keep the left leg going for 3 minutes.

The big blob in the center is a standing interval, 12 minutes long.

Three more sets of ILT’s follow the standing exercise (left leg first again), then a final tempo spin at 100+ rpm for 5 minutes.

One other thing I’ve noted is that I’m finishing “strong” on the standing and tempo portions. I pushed harder in the final minute of these intervals. I’m not sure if that is good, or whether it’s an indication that I’m holding a little too much in reserve, or whether I’m WAY too obsessed with data.

I’m fatigued today, but not overly sore. I feel it most in the muscles in my hips.

No mileage, but 1,100 calories.  w00t.

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First H.I.T.

November 11th, 2007 John Posted in Cycling, exercise No Comments »

Today was session one of the ‘07-’08 High Intensity Training (HIT). A group of the Green River Riders are doing this 13 week workout series in the garage of one of the participants.

Ten folks showed up this morning, two were absent, and one person was 5 minutes late (me). John had a hard time getting his ass out of bed this morning after spending Saturday night at the neighbor’s house for wine and cheese tasting (discovery of the night was Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘05-the clear winner of the night).

The garage is of the 3 car variety, and the cyclists are arranged in a circle across two car-spaces. One person calls out the exercises, and counts down the interval times for the other riders. Being in the garage rather than a warm and brightly lit gym gives it a bit of a “Rocky - Eye of the Tiger” training feel to it. Being part of the group is key for me, as I don’t really have the inertia necessary to do these kind of workouts on my own. I need that peer pressure to keep me going.

Today’s workout was a few sets of “spin-ups” (intervals of increasing cadence), individual leg intervals, a 10 minute standing interval, and 5 minutes of tempo riding at the end. The total workout today was about an hour. One down, 25 to go.

Although my rear-wheel speed and cadence sensor would allow me to keep track of spin “miles”, I’ve never done this in the past.  For whatever reason I’ve always felt like “spin is spin” and “road miles are road miles”.  This may be due to my previous spin classes being at the gym, where no mileage can be tracked.  I think I’ll continue to track this time separately, and try to get all my “goal-mileage” on the road.

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Spin Set-up Night

November 7th, 2007 John Posted in exercise No Comments »

Tonight many of the folks that will be doing winter spin sessions gathered in a 60 degree garage to set up for this coming Sunday.  November 11 marks the beginning of High-Intensity Training for the Green River Riders.

Essential equipment must be brought to the venue.  This includes:

  • Bike
  • Trainer (the kind you bolt your back wheel into)
  • Block on which to raise your front wheel to simulate climbing
  • Large bucket, which is used in an overturned state as a foot rest when doing one-legged pedaling
  • Heart-Rate Monitor
  • Bike computer with cadence, measured off the back wheel.
  • Towels

Even in the chilly temperatures of the garage, I think I’m going to want a fan to help evaporate the perspiration a bit.  Even with just a 40 minute session tonight, I was sweating plenty.  I was pointed to a corner of the garage not traditionally used by the same group last year (spin people can be so territorial).  It’s a little dark over there, and I may need to figure out a way to supplement the lighting for the Wednesday night sessions, as it’s hard to read the cadence with only a couple of lumens available.

Just a little test spin tonight, spin-up from 50 to 120 rpm, then a 12 minute standing session.  I’m getting pumped, this is going to be hard, and good.

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The off-season goal

October 5th, 2007 John Posted in exercise 2 Comments »

Check this out:

300 Opinions - Everyone Has One

I don’t want to “coast” anymore. Time to shed some ballast and embrace the discipline of intervals, climbing, and not lifting that fork. Do I want to be “The Captain”? Yes, but no. There is a balance to be struck. But the balance can’t be an excuse to compromise, either. There is momentum to be overcome: the bottom line is that I’ll likely spend the next 5 months wrestling with my lifelong tendencies. I have spent too many years being “mercury”. Not the Roman god with wings on his feet, but the liquid metal that rolls to the low spot on the floor.

This winter I’ll be spinning twice a week in a garage with some pretty competent and competitive folks. High-intensity spinning. Hang your medical card around your neck, and get on the bike spinning. I’m hoping confident that this will be a wake-up call to my momentum.

4,285 miles ytd

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Where the hell is John?

January 8th, 2007 John Posted in Cycling, exercise, family, misc 1 Comment »

He’s been kinda busy, on several fronts:

Cycling: I’ve had two rides, Tuesday the 2nd I did 25 miles with the Use It or Lose It gang. The weather was crappy before and after the ride, but it was warm and no rain fell on our little out-and-back trip to Sumner. I skipped Thursday as I was in the throes of a headcold, and did not want to exacerbate matters with a ride in 40 degree temps. Saturday I went out solo, and did 19 miles in the valley to shake out the cobwebs a bit.

Rim Failure: I’ve been riding my fair-weather bike, as my new wheels have not been finished by the boys at Ti-Cycles. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to fetch them tomorrow before the night ride. It looks like it’s going to be a wet ride, so I’d much rather be riding my winter bike with the fenders.

Bent Car: My car ended up staying at the auto body place for the weekend, as they had not quite gotten it done on Friday. In the meantime, I drove around in a Ford Focus Hatchback, which was roomy enough to stash my bike in the back, but has seats that were designed by the Bishops during the Spanish Inquisition. I picked the car up this afternoon, and it looks perfect. All the repairs and the car rental were direct-billed to the insurance company of the person that backed into my car. Thank you, Kirmac Auto Body. Nice job!

Gauntlet: Today is Terri’s birthday, but we celebrated on Sunday with dinner at Salty’s. I’m halfway through The Gauntlet with the end in sight.

1975 (or so) CenturionCollege Bike: Also on Sunday, I got in touch with my ex-mother-in-law. About 25 years ago, when I was not cycling but owned a bike I had bought in college and ridden up until about 1980. My ex’s younger brother wanted to borrow my bicycle for a while. Rumor has it he never even rode the thing, but it has been hanging in his mom’s garage ever since. I had no recollection about what brand it was or even the color, but Sunday morning we went by and picked it up. It’s a Centurion (predecessor to Diamondback), vintage approx. 1975, 10 speeds. It is pretty well preserved, and not too badly rusted. The tires are shot, as are the brake pads. I may replace those, give it a quick lube, and try it out on the trail. If it is anywhere close to fitting me, I may convert it to a fixed gear bike to do some training and playing on.

Spin Class: I did the spin thing tonight. Class was packed with all the new year’s resolution people, but I got a trainer and class was o.k. Music was so-so tonight, but I tuned it out and got a good workout. He actually played Celine Dion. In Spin class. What is the world coming to?

Not quite what I had in mind...Advocacy: I had written to King County and the City of Auburn in an attempt to get some sort of fix put in for the Interurban Trail near my house. The trail floods with any moderate rainfall, forcing a detour through truck traffic. The King County Trail folks have inspected this section, and they believe that the flooding may be the result of a clogged culvert. Now the challenge is to see who has jurisdiction over the culvert, the City of Auburn or Union Pacific Railroad. The county folks have promised to track that down, however, so I’m hopeful we can get this problem fixed.

A whopping 44 miles, ytd.

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