Yesterday was a day off after Wednesday’s attempt at 100 miles or 8 hours on the cycle. That day was a minor success; 68 virtual miles pedaled in 4.5 hours. Clearly I’ll have to work up to 8 hours of saddle time. “Don’t you get bored?”, I was asked. “Do you read while pedaling?”. My answer at the time was inadequate. When working toward a goal, the process is not boring; it cannot be boring. In the gym I’ll see people reading while pedaling and not getting a work out. It is simply not possible (for me) to push athletically and read at the same time. It takes focus to maintain moderate to hard output over hours. Focus precludes boredom. What does happen is a struggle between discomfort, effort, and the will to continue.
Anyone who has driven long distance knows it takes the first hour or so to acclimatize. That first hour goes by slowly. The next few hours stream by and at some point fatigue sets in. The last half hour can go by quickly or can seem to take an eternity. Bicycling is similar in the beginning. For me, the first hour goes by slowly with some fidgeting (physical and mental). Hours 2 & 3 were relatively smooth. I selected scenic rides in the Italian Alps and Hawaii. They were fun. The next half hour felt like a riding a knife edge; a battle between exhaustion and the will to “break on through”. I don’t even remember which half hour scenic ride I chose. Next up was another hours ride. The first 30 minutes went by with moments of discomfort between stretches of an athletic high. It felt really good mostly. The next 15 minutes were a struggle. I almost quit. Once I overcame that little negative voice in my head, the last 15 minutes were strong. Even so, “the voice” won out and I stopped at 4.5 hours and 68 miles.
Today for grins I took a 60 minute power zone endurance ride with Matt. Matt is a world class running coach who has worked for Peloton for the past year or two. His classes are structured and push hard. Even his “easy” endurance rides are not easy if you follow his lead. This was a wake-up call for me. I stopped power zone training (PZ) about 8 months ago in favor of heart rate training (HRZ). I realized today that PZ is a much better way for me to improve. Because of my age, my heart rate zones have collapsed. The difference between zone 2, 3, and 4 is very tight. If I stay in zone 2 for an endurance ride I simply am not pushing at all. My power zones are significantly wider. Staying in PZ 2 or 3 can push my heart rate into zone 4 or even 5 with a high cadence and relatively low resistance.
I recognize that by not taking a power zone challenge (a 6 or 8 week training course) every now and than, I have been cheating myself. By not having short term goals aside from dropping to an arbitrary target weight, I’ve allowed myself to slip into a comfort zone. I’ve had this nagging feeling that my performance (endurance and power) have not improved, even with regular exercise. It’s time to adopt one of Matt’s power zone programs for a few weeks and “see what happens”.
I really enjoyed Matt’s class today. Unlike other instructors, Matt provides just the right encouragement at just the right moment throughout the ride. He knows how exercise at particular power levels changes physiology and will describe the changes a particular class type will have over time. I’ve done his intermediate now to start Matt’s advanced power zone challenge.
It’s good to have a Goal.