Indoor Cycling Part 1 Complete

For a while I was posting weekly updates for the indoor cycling.  It was pretty dry, boring stuff focusing on the detail of the intervals.  I wanted to record those details anyway; I ended up recording it in Strava instead of gumming up my blog with boring posts.  Instead I'll post more occasionally about it, but with more relevant (and less boring) material.

After nine weeks we've completed the first part of our two-part indoor class.  I figured it would be a good time to look back at the nine weeks and see what I've managed to accomplish thus far.

I've noticed an increase with my functional threshold power.  We did our first test on the very first day and we did a follow up about seven weeks later.  The second test showed an improvement of 8%.  It doesn't seem like a lot, but keep in mind I'm basing my FTP on my heart rate; this means I can hold a heart rate that is 8% higher for an entire hour.  That's very significant!

My pedaling technique and cadence have greatly improved.  I figured I was pretty good at the start of the class, easily able to fall into a rate of 90-95 rpm.  Since then I've been improving my technique by trying to "kick" forward on the top of a stroke and scrape my foot at the bottom.  With this technique I've managed 125+ rpm cadence in a very controlled manner.

My leg muscles have come a long way as well.  My calf muscles were already pretty large at the start of class.  They've gotten bigger and more well defined.  My quads are definitely the larger increase though; my upper legs went from flabby to extremely muscular. My time spent posing in the mirror has basically tripled, yay for vanity!

I've gotten much better at standing up while riding.  I used to have terrible stamina and get exhausted right away.  Now I can maintain it very well.  My technique is improved here as well; I used to just pedal mash while standing but now I apply my newly learned pedaling technique.  I've also been working hard at my standing form so it is much easier to perform.

Riding in the drops of my handlebars used to be very tough.  One big factor is size of my gut; going into the drops meant kneeing myself in the stomach a lot.  Not to mention the position was just plain uncomfortable and I felt like it was harder to breathe. But over time my gut got smaller and my endurance grew.  Now I am much more comfortable leaning down and getting closer to my bike.  It doesn't help much in the indoor class but it's going to do wonders for me come spring.

My overall comfort and confidence with my clipless pedals and shoes has increased a lot.  To be fair, I'm on a trainer and there's very little chance of something going wrong, like falling over while my shoes are locked in.  But I've gotten very used to  being able to hop on or off the bike quickly.  When I go to stick my leg out, decoupling from the pedals is second nature.

Most importantly, it has been an exercise I've been able to maintain.  In the nine week period I've only missed a day or two.  Even when I had pneumonia and I was hacking up a lung, I was there on my bike.  Diabetes doesn't take a sick day so I felt like I couldn't either.

So, long story short, I'm really happy with my results.  I'm looking forward to what the next nine weeks will bring!

Indoor Cycling Week 4

Due to scheduled plans I wasn't able to attend the first 2 days of indoor cycling class.  That's just the way life goes sometimes.

I was determined to go on the third day.  I don't want to miss a whole week.  Even with a nagging cough and lingering migraine, I was still hell bent on going.  I took what I could to deal with the migraine and just hoped that coughing wouldn't be an issue.

The class was doing more over-under intervals.  As this is the third class of the week, the duration is an hour and a half.  After warming up and getting up to speed, we did 130% FTP 1 min, easy spin 1 min, repeat 10 times.  Then second set was similar, only we did 150% FTP.  The last set was also similar but the lowest amount of effort, 120% of FTP.

The bad part was I felt my smart phone at home.  Since my smart phone is the brains of my sensors, I basically lost any sort of read out.  No speed, cadence, heart rate, etc..  So I had to guess what my FTP was.

The good part was everything else turned out great.  I did still cough a bit, but almost always when I was easy spinning.  The head pain had dissipated when we had arrived.  During a particularly hard effort when my legs were burning and my lungs were on fire, I found myself smiling, really enjoying the intensity and burn.  What can I say, it's addictive!

Indoor Cycling Week 3

Day 1
Today was the day to bring on the pain.  The intervals we were performing were called High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT.  With this sort of training, we are performing a "microburst" of activity followed by a very short recovery.

After the usual warm up and ramp up to get our heart rate going, we dived into these intervals.  They were only 15 seconds each at 150% of our Functional Threshold Power (FTP value calculated at first class).  After each we'd easy spin for 15 seconds.  Repeat this sixteen times for a set, then perform the set 3 times (with cool down in between).

I had a rough estimate of my FTP based on my heart rate.  The problem here is, how do you get to 150% of your FTP in only 15 seconds?  It takes a little while for your heart to fire up like that!  So instead I just threw every intensity I had at it.  I started standing up to pedal for every other peak, in order to make it even more difficult.

Day 2
 This was another new interval called a Sprint-erval.  First, a warm up with a bit of sprinting in it.  For a set you had to do 200% of your FTP for 15 seconds, then easy spin for 45 seconds.  This is repeated 3 times.  Finally, a sustained effort of 4 minutes for 90% of your FTP.  This set was performed five times.

Its very hard to get that heart rate up in 15 seconds.  I put everything on with the most resistance, stand on the pedals and power down as hard as I can.  I managed to stand for every sprint session.

Day 3
Unfortunately I got off to a bad start.  I was almost at class when I realized I had forgotten my phone.  All my sensors rely on my phone; without it I have no idea of my heart rate or cadence.  These have gotten very important in class.  I had to head back, get my phone and head to class again.  It made me 15 minutes late but I arrived in the midst of the first interval.

Today was a day I will refer to as Sprints and Sprint-ervals.

The first set of intervals consisted of a hard (200%FTP) effort for 15 seconds followed by a 45 second recovery.  Then a sustained effort of 4 minutes.  This was repeated three times.  At the end of the third set there was also a 30 second sprint effort.  For the sprints I was standing up to pedal and I did the sustained effort from the drop position.

The second set of intervals were hard sprints.  You start at 200% FTP for 15 seconds, easy spin for 15 seconds,   Repeat sixteen times for a set.  We did that set three times.  I didn't bother standing for any of these sprints; there was so much shifting I felt more comfortable with my hands on the brake hoods.  My chain managed to drop twice doing these.

Indoor Cycling Week 2

Day 1 (1 hour)
Tuesday's class consisted of some new intervals.  It started off similar to the others we've done; five minutes warmup, 70% effort for a minute, minute easy, 80% minute, minute easy, 90% minute, minute easy.  After that we went full-out effort for 30 seconds and easy spinning for 30 seconds, repeated 20 times for the set.  Then five minutes easy spinning and a repeat of the 20 intervals, finishing with a 5 minute cool down.

I noticed my wooden block slipping again.  I slowly (but firmly) tried to rotate my front tire with my hand, as though to pull the block under the tire more.  Instead of the block moving, my entire bike rolled forward.  Which again was fine, because I was centered on the block.  Unfortunately, my wife wasn't so lucky.  Her blocks few out from under her front tire with a clatter.  But like a trooper she just kept on spinning.

Day 2 (1 hour)
I wanted to put an end to the slippery antics so I went shopping.  I picked up two CyclOps Riser Blocks.  Unlike other blocks, they have three different levels.  Apparently both blocks can be combined to simulate many climbing positions.  I also picked up some cushioned interlocking mats.  The mats would help with the slippery sweat mess in addition to providing some dampening of vibrations.

Today's class started with an 80% effort to warm up, then we went right into Individual Leg Training, or ILT's.  In a nutshell, you start pedaling with one foot then switch to another.  While pedalling you concentrate on how to make circles with your pedal stroke. It sounds easy enough, but I actually found it pretty difficult.  I had my bike set for little resistance and was using an easy gear, but found my heart rate up while doing the ILTs.

The last intervals were interesting.  Each set was nine minutes.  The first 2 minutes were at 80% effort and the third minute was at 100%.  Then minutes four and five were at 80%, then minute six at 100%.  Then minutes seven and eight at 80% and finally the ninth minute at 100%.  We did this three times with a 5 minute cool down in between.

Day 3 (1.5 hours)
Last Saturday I was low on liquids so I thought I'd be better prepared this time.  In addition to my Polar 24oz water bottles, I also brought along a bottle of Powerade.  My bike doesn't have three bottle holders though.  I used a small bungee cord to fasten it to a sane spot on the front of my bike.

For this class we did more over-unders.  First a warm up to bring us to our Functional Threshold Power (FTP).  After a five minute cool down, three minutes were 90% of FTP, then 2 minutes 105% FTP, another 3 at 90% and another 2 at 105%.  That's ten minutes of cycling like a madman.  We did that particular set five times, with five minutes of cool down in between.

Cycling Indoor Edition Part 4

After an awesome party and return ride home, I only got a few hours sleep.  My wife was going to be working throughout the day and wouldn't be joining me for this class.  I felt like my determination to go was wavering.  My wife pointed out how much trouble I went to in order to attend..  It was subtle but effective prodding as I ended up heading to the two-wheeled torture chamber.

The Bike Thong!

I picked up a Minoura Safe - T - Net Sweat Net.  The amount that I sweat is nothing short of epic.  All that sweat is basically salty water and not good for my frame.  The sweat guard stretches from the handlebars to the seat post, creating a terrycloth towel-like barrier.  I like to jokingly call it my "bike thong."

Today's session was longer, 90 minutes instead of the usual 60.  It would be more intervals of varying effort with 1-3 minutes of easy spinning between each.  We started with a five minute warm up and started our first set.  It had 3 intervals; 70% effort for 5 minutes, 80% effort for 4 minutes and 90% effort for 3 minutes.  This set would be performed a second time.  Then a set with 3 intervals of 3 minutes duration.  The last two sets were the same 3 intervals; 70% effort for 3 minutes, 80% effort for 4 minutes and 90% effort for five minutes.  Then a five minute cool down.

The resistance changes I made fixed my problem.  I felt like I was getting the right amount of resistance.  I was able to stand up during intervals where it was called for and was able to keep pedalling along.

This class I ended up rationing my water carefully.  The last two classes I had brought sufficient water but this class would be harder and longer.  I made a mental note to bring either an extra bottle or an energy drink to the next long class.

The hardest part of the session was the cool down.  I kid you not.  Normally I'm all smiles and enjoying the endorphin buzz on cool down.  This time it was agony.  For some reason spinning with no resistance was leaving me with a permanent grimace.  It seemed like the longest five minutes of my life.

So far I've really enjoyed the class.  The work outs have me drenched in sweat and I'm already looking forward to seeing how it affects my performance in the spring.  There are three classes per week and I'm positive I can make a minimum of two, if not all three.  Between this, Project SubZero and the core exercises I've been planning, I should have a very active winter!

Cycling Indoor Edition Part 3

Jet Black M1 Trainer with Tacx Trainer Tyre.

Our second day we had Tacx Trainer Tyres outfitted on our rear wheels.  The concept is they're made specifically for use with a trainer, so they'll last longer than a normal tire.  And of course, since you're not using your actual road tire, it's getting no wear at all.  The tires are smurf blue, guaranteeing you'll never confuse them with a normal road tire.

Through the fitness test we discovered what sort of sustained effort we could keep.  I think the term for it is "Functional Threshold Power."  Today we'd be making use of that information for our efforts.  I used a heart rate monitor to keep track of my efforts but the instructor also gave instructions for people with power meters and speed/cadence sensors.

The instructor dubbed the class "Throwback Thursday" with all music being from the 80's and 90's.  The format was similar to yesterday's class only the intervals were shorter and more frequent.  There were a few screens displaying this information with a series of graphic displays and timers,  The instructor would also call out any changes so you didn't need to keep an eye on them.

Looking around I noticed new faces and rides.  Lots of road bikes and more triathlon bikes.  It seemed like aero-bars were extremely popular.  From what I heard, this would be happening all month as people retired their rides for the winter.

At one point we were instructed to stand while pedalling.  I got up to pedal and found I couldn't.  I felt like there was no resistance there.  I ensured that I was in my hardest gear and my trainer's resistance was on the highest setting.  I looked over to my wife and noticed she had a similar problem.We ended up just sitting through the rest of the standing segments.  I tried to make up for it by greatly increasing my effort through cadence.

We discussed the problem with the instructor afterwards and got some tips on how to fix it.  After making some adjustments, I noticed there was a lot more resistance.  I don't think it was pressed up against the tire enough.  I checked the manual later that evening and it confirmed my suspicions.

Next up, the finale aka Part 4!

Cycling Indoor Edition Part 2

A window-less basement room filled with metal monstrosities
whose sole purpose is to cause pain and agony.
In medieval times it was called a torture chamber;
today it is called the spinning room.

On my first day I had a look around at other riders and bicycles.  It seemed like the majority of the bikes were time trial or triathlon bikes.  A few road bikes and I spotted one hybrid.  All the pedals that I saw were clip-less pedals.

Once we got started we did some light spinning while introducing ourselves.  After that the instructor gave us an outline of what we would be doing.  We would be doing a fitness test where we had to hold a certain amount of effort for two eight minute intervals, with a few minutes of easy spinning in between.  He explained that it was important not to go all-out; you don't want to just run yourself to exhaustion right away.  You want to go at your highest sustained effort that still allows you to accomplish the intervals.  And of course, there would be a warm up prior and a cool down after.

Well, it ended up being quite a workout.  I was sweating like crazy, even with help of three fans.  A puddle of sweat pooled below my bike.  I am so glad I brought two towels!  The only thing that was odd was my speed was pretty high.  I feel like there might be an issue with the resistance being too mild.

The Wife's Valence (left) and my Valence (right).

The style of trainer we had uses the rear tire, which elevates the tire.  Most people put something under their front tire to level things out.  I had grabbed one of the "freebie" wooden blocks from the front of the class.  At first it was working out well.  But my uber-sweating had created a pool of disgusting-ness beneath me which made the block a little slippery.  It ended out sliding from under me.  Fortunately I could feel it happening and made the transition as gently as possible.  I then made sure to put on my "I meant to do that!" face.  Might be a sign to start looking for a good riser block that won't slide.

I had heard one of the down sides of indoor cycling was the monotony of it.  You don't have the breeze in your hair or beautiful scenery to look at.  I found doing intervals really helped with this.  When you change things up every few minutes, the time just flies.

More coming up in Part 3!

Cycling Indoor Edition Part 1

I had my last ride outdoors with the Valence.  The temperature was about 6C and the wind was southeast at about 20km/h.  I made the mistake of forgetting about the wind and rocketed along with it.  I ended up fighting a mean head wind all the way back.  Despite the rough ride back, I made sure to enjoy every minute of it.

One of my winter strategies was to take up cycling indoors.  I have a recumbent stationary bike that I can ride.  The upside is its free, the downside is I can't ride with my wife and it doesn't do much for my cycling form.  There are spin classes where they supply stationary bikes; I can ride with my wife but again it doesn't do much with cycling form.  I'm also worried that relying on either will mean getting used to my saddle all over again in the spring.

So instead we opted for an indoor cycling class being held by my local bike shop.  This class didn't supply equipment; you need to bring in your real bike and a turbo trainer.  These trainers basically convert your real bike into a stationary one.

We were able to obtain two Jet Black M1 magnetic trainers. A remote attached to your handlebars allows you to control the magnetic resistance.  The trainer holds onto the rear of the bike and presses up against the rear tire for resistance.

The indoor cycling room is a large basement room that is well ventilated with several fans.  We set ourselves up at the front of the class, near one of the larger fans.  I'm not normally a front-of-the-class kind of guy but I wanted to make sure not to miss anything.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we get right into the action!