Time to get Fit thread

[Mike95060]

Its that time of year again. I track everything on strava so this is pretty accurate. Im going to have to look back through the thread to compare this to my stated goals and how it compares to last year. Post em if you got em!

 

[Climber]

Wow, Mike, that's a lot of climbing!

Great job!

 

[stangmx13]

Years ago, in my later 20's I tried getting away from red meat to see if it would make a difference. It didn't make a noticeable difference to how I functioned besides feeling like I had lost a bit of an edge. When I ended the experiment and went back to eating red meat, it took months for me to be able to digest it in the manner that I had prior..

Re: losing a bit of edge

I've been seeing hints that insufficient iron can be an issue for athletes pushing VO2Max, ie high-level and endurance athletes, and especially women. Those athletes need a lot of iron to support all those red blood cells. Even with the extra calorie intake for those athletes, the average American diet does not contain enough iron (per calorie) to meet that need. And diets like vegetarian or vegan can impact that a lot because of bio-availability of iron in certain foods. Low iron can lead to poor improvement, serious fatigue, etc.

I'm probably going to get my blood work done to test this, mostly because Ive drastically changed my output in a short time without changing my diet much, other than quantity.

For anyone reading this, it's not a good idea to supplement iron without blood test results showing it's needed. Overdosing iron is not hard and can cause serious health issues.

 

[stangmx13]

Ok Robert I got your next piece of kit It would be SOOOO cool if it gets developed into an accurate, affordable and reliable real time wearable. Imagine training and knowing EXACTLY how hard to push and when.

I am so tempted. Garmin watch, Whoop, glucose meter, lactate meter. Buy all the gadgets!

Its that time of year again. I track everything on strava so this is pretty accurate. Im going to have to look back through the thread to compare this to my stated goals and how it compares to last year. Post em if you got em!

I'm not posting mine until Dec 31st. I have a goal I'm trying to meet and I'm going to need every day until then

 

[Mike95060]

I am so tempted. Garmin watch, Whoop, glucose meter, lactate meter. Buy all the gadgets!



I'm not posting mine until Dec 31st. I have a goal I'm trying to meet and I'm going to need every day until then

Over 150K climbing? 5K mileage? You are putting is some work this year.

I wanted top 10% and 1K mileage, maybe I can squeeze it in before the end of the month. I'm bummed that my swim data wasn't reflected in yardage. :/

About Iron, yes get it measured! I asked for it with my last blood panel. "Ferritin" was the name of the test. I was on the lower side of normal.

 

[Mike95060]

Wow, Mike, that's a lot of climbing!

Great job!

Thanks Brett! im close to happy about it lol. It didn't show but I was in the top 11% of strava users.


11%? c'mon what's a guy gotta do to be top 10%

 

[stangmx13]

Over 150K climbing? 5K mileage? You are putting is some work this year.

I wanted top 10% and 1K mileage, maybe I can squeeze it in before the end of the month. I'm bummed that my swim data wasn't reflected in yardage. :/

About Iron, yes get it measured! I asked for it with my last blood panel. "Ferritin" was the name of the test. I was on the lower side of normal.

My goal is a bit higher. Don't peek at my Strava totals just yet

You've got 16 days left. Get it!

 

[Climber]

Re: losing a bit of edge

I've been seeing hints that insufficient iron can be an issue for athletes pushing VO2Max, ie high-level and endurance athletes, and especially women. Those athletes need a lot of iron to support all those red blood cells. Even with the extra calorie intake for those athletes, the average American diet does not contain enough iron (per calorie) to meet that need. And diets like vegetarian or vegan can impact that a lot because of bio-availability of iron in certain foods. Low iron can lead to poor improvement, serious fatigue, etc.

I'm probably going to get my blood work done to test this, mostly because Ive drastically changed my output in a short time without changing my diet much, other than quantity.

For anyone reading this, it's not a good idea to supplement iron without blood test results showing it's needed. Overdosing iron is not hard and can cause serious health issues.

More great advice!

I know that serious bicyclists are, on average, far more informed then most of the public when it comes down to all aspects of their performance! Whether it's gadgets to record many factors in their output, being very advanced in calorie and electrolyte replacement, very good hydration and plenty of other factors, I've always wondered how far other sports would go if they took it that far with their own measuring and diligence on what they put in their bodies.

I guess you really have to if you're a serious rider, the amount of calories a serious rider burns is far beyond what most people would burn.

One thing I'm trying to get past, or improve, is the constant burn in my legs through my whole 38-40 minute ride. Maybe I'm too old to get more mitochondria in my cells to help combat or improve that. Any suggestions to push back the lactic acid levels a bit on my ride?

 

[stangmx13]

One thing I'm trying to get past, or improve, is the constant burn in my legs through my whole 38-40 minute ride. Maybe I'm too old to get more mitochondria in my cells to help combat or improve that. Any suggestions to push back the lactic acid levels a bit on my ride?

How hard are you trying for that ride? How much longer could you hold that pace?

Bike fit stuff:
Make sure your saddle isn't too low, causing extra strain on your quads. Make sure you aren't leaning forward more than your flexibility allows causing extra strain for your hamstrings and glutes. This could be caused by low bars, a saddle that is too far back, or tight hamstrings. If you get done with this effort and you feel tightness or nagging pain, you may need to work on your bike fit.

Training stuff:
The usual answer to fatigue is get stronger by exercising at a slightly harder effort. Stimulate the mitochondria well and they will respond. If your effort is at conversation pace, try 15min sub-threshold intervals. If your effort is sub-threshold, do 8-10min threshold intervals. If your effort is threshold, do 3-5min VO2max intervals. There's a saying in cycling - cycling never get's easier, you just get faster

I just started experimenting with weights to raise the ceiling on my fitness. I'm still not past the "I hate DOMS" phase yet . I suspect I'll notice a change in 1-5min efforts soon. But it'll prob take a few months for any changes with 40-60min efforts.

 

[two wheel tramp]

This watch is frickin' NEAT!

I have taken a few walks, and today, since I was off, I went on a long one. Per my watch, my VO2 max is 31, putting me above-average cardio fitness (per Apple) (Thrilled to find this out).

I average about 5.2 miles a day between my lunchtime walks and puttering around the house. All this data is frickin' cool!

 

[Holeshot]

Lookie there...you found a whole new way to chase goals, R! Like Robert, it gets all consuming. Welcome to sport watch hell!

 

[two wheel tramp]

I think I also found a way to chase goals that are more fitness related, like faster miles, better VO2 max, longer strides. I appreciate that the watch tells me exactly how far I went as well and my heart rate.

I am going to turn into a data junkie with this.

 

[Mike95060]

Yes!!!!!!

It’s a fun addiction.

 

[Climber]

How hard are you trying for that ride? How much longer could you hold that pace?

Bike fit stuff:
Make sure your saddle isn't too low, causing extra strain on your quads. Make sure you aren't leaning forward more than your flexibility allows causing extra strain for your hamstrings and glutes. This could be caused by low bars, a saddle that is too far back, or tight hamstrings. If you get done with this effort and you feel tightness or nagging pain, you may need to work on your bike fit.

Training stuff:
The usual answer to fatigue is get stronger by exercising at a slightly harder effort. Stimulate the mitochondria well and they will respond. If your effort is at conversation pace, try 15min sub-threshold intervals. If your effort is sub-threshold, do 8-10min threshold intervals. If your effort is threshold, do 3-5min VO2max intervals. There's a saying in cycling - cycling never get's easier, you just get faster

I just started experimenting with weights to raise the ceiling on my fitness. I'm still not past the "I hate DOMS" phase yet . I suspect I'll notice a change in 1-5min efforts soon. But it'll prob take a few months for any changes with 40-60min efforts.

My loop is 10 miles, almost exactly. I have 5 traffic lights that I go through, usually getting stopped by at least 3, often 4. My fitbit pauses after 15 seconds of stopped. I'm usually high 16 mph with those stops, I believe I'm losing about 30 seconds for each light that stops me, so I'm probably losing about 2 mph from lights.

During the summer I rode 4 times a week. I push hard every time for the full distance, with my thighs burning the whole time, I've always been a goal-oriented trainer, I don't get endorphins like my wife does so it's all hard work. There's not a time that I ride that I don't try to improve. I'm currently only able to do 2-3 times a week, now that I'm back to coaching track.

Do you mean, run hard for 15 minutes then at a more casual pace for some period of time, then another 15 minute burst?

 

[stangmx13]

My loop is 10 miles, almost exactly. I have 5 traffic lights that I go through, usually getting stopped by at least 3, often 4. My fitbit pauses after 15 seconds of stopped. I'm usually high 16 mph with those stops, I believe I'm losing about 30 seconds for each light that stops me, so I'm probably losing about 2 mph from lights.

During the summer I rode 4 times a week. I push hard every time for the full distance, with my thighs burning the whole time, I've always been a goal-oriented trainer, I don't get endorphins like my wife does so it's all hard work. There's not a time that I ride that I don't try to improve. I'm currently only able to do 2-3 times a week, now that I'm back to coaching track.

Do you mean, run hard for 15 minutes then at a more casual pace for some period of time, then another 15 minute burst?

HR, % of max HR, and RPE would be better indicators for how hard you are trying.

Yep, for intervals you'd take some structured rest where you pedal at about half effort. Ive been seeing stuff lately that the rest time is very important between intervals, as thats how you achieve progressive overloading. This is especially true for medium-intensity intervals. Too short of rest makes the intervals too hard towards the end, reducing quality of the workout. Too long of rest and progressive overloading is reduced or eliminated. Try to fit your rests with those stop lights so you can stick to the schedule.

Sounds like you are riding at a push pace with some rest at lights, which I'd guess is sub-threshold. So try some 6-8min intervals where you ride 10% harder than normal. It should be hard enough where you think "theres no way i could do my entire ride at this pace". Do 3 of those and rest 4min in between each. In my experience the first should feel good, the 2nd should be hard, and the 3rd should almost hurt . The rest of your ride should be warm-up and warm-down, say 80% of your normal pace.

Id guess you could sustain 2 of these workouts a week. If you get back to 4+ rides a week, I'd definitely include one easier day where you ride slower than your push pace. And of course, revisit these quantities if/when your fitness changes. And feel free to increase the interval length to 10 or 12min if they start to feel good. My Garmin has started recommending 2x19min threshold intervals for me

 

[Mike95060]

Hey Garmin Peeps,

Ever had 4 rest days suggested in a row?! I'm in uncharted territory. I had a heavy load week followed by a moderate week with only 3 workouts. The last of which was a run with sprint intervals. I felt good during that run but, was very sore for a few days after. My sleep had been poor those two weeks and my HRV sunk into the "unbalanced" territory.

Last night I got a solid 8 hrs and my HRV was in range. Garmin still suggested a rest day today. I have never had even 2 consecutive rest days suggested before this. Today being the 4th in a row is surprising me. I'm playing along since I have actually felt pretty wiped out lately. I feel like I could work out today but I'm taking the Garmin advise and resting. Other than being sick, or deliberately taking a bit of time off this is the biggest pause I have taken and it's at the suggestion of my device.

 

[Climber]

HR, % of max HR, and RPE would be better indicators for how hard you are trying.

Yep, for intervals you'd take some structured rest where you pedal at about half effort. Ive been seeing stuff lately that the rest time is very important between intervals, as thats how you achieve progressive overloading. This is especially true for medium-intensity intervals. Too short of rest makes the intervals too hard towards the end, reducing quality of the workout. Too long of rest and progressive overloading is reduced or eliminated. Try to fit your rests with those stop lights so you can stick to the schedule.

Sounds like you are riding at a push pace with some rest at lights, which I'd guess is sub-threshold. So try some 6-8min intervals where you ride 10% harder than normal. It should be hard enough where you think "theres no way i could do my entire ride at this pace". Do 3 of those and rest 4min in between each. In my experience the first should feel good, the 2nd should be hard, and the 3rd should almost hurt . The rest of your ride should be warm-up and warm-down, say 80% of your normal pace.

Id guess you could sustain 2 of these workouts a week. If you get back to 4+ rides a week, I'd definitely include one easier day where you ride slower than your push pace. And of course, revisit these quantities if/when your fitness changes. And feel free to increase the interval length to 10 or 12min if they start to feel good. My Garmin has started recommending 2x19min threshold intervals for me

Thanks Robert!

Really appreciate your input! I'm going to study up on exactly how to go about this, since it's new on a bike for me.

Now, time to go drive my jumpers hard at practice!

 

[stangmx13]

Hey Garmin Peeps,

Ever had 4 rest days suggested in a row?! I'm in uncharted territory. I had a heavy load week followed by a moderate week with only 3 workouts. The last of which was a run with sprint intervals. I felt good during that run but, was very sore for a few days after. My sleep had been poor those two weeks and my HRV sunk into the "unbalanced" territory.

Last night I got a solid 8 hrs and my HRV was in range. Garmin still suggested a rest day today. I have never had even 2 consecutive rest days suggested before this. Today being the 4th in a row is surprising me. I'm playing along since I have actually felt pretty wiped out lately. I feel like I could work out today but I'm taking the Garmin advise and resting. Other than being sick, or deliberately taking a bit of time off this is the biggest pause I have taken and it's at the suggestion of my device.

My generally feeling on and off the bike has been correlating pretty well with the HRV from my Whoop. So if your HRV was staying low, I'm not surprised Garmin was recommending more recovery. And I'm not surprised they recommended 1 extra day, cuz that kinda seems to be their deal.

Garmin is recommending a lot of recovery rides for me. But I doubt it's correct and doubt it's comparable to yours because Garmin doesn't have my HRV (yet).

I tanked my HRV to about 60% of it's normal one night last week. I slept like shit and felt like crap on my morning ride too. The cause - one pint of beer at 9pm. Ugh, my liver is out of practice and I'm asking too much of my body to afford that.

 

[Climber]

I stopped drinking (aside for a single drink a couple times a year at most) decades ago because I'd work my ass off all week to get into great shape, then it'd take me until Wednesday after the weekend to get back to that same place. Simply not worth it if you're serious about your fitness.

 

[two wheel tramp]

I don't drink much, either. A little bit of tequila with soda water here and there.

Nothing else new to report here other than nerding out about all these new metrics.

Goals for 2024: Increase VO2 max, increase my heart rate recovery # (currently at 30), and see if I can get my resting heart rate down.