01/25/2014
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| You were meant to go further. |
Scifit Handcycle: Duration: 1:26:00 Dist: 16.30mile 859 cal
HR: max 167 (102%) avg 144(88%) Level 5 resistence
Remember my entry "Know Limits > No Limits" a few posts ago? I talked about how, with my new heart-rate monitor, I would now be able to better track the intensity of my workouts and back off when needed.....I said that at 56 years of age my maximum HR is 164 and I posted graphs and diagrams to illustrate the various intensity levels
that one should strive for during a workout...I also might
have mentioned that ever since my system has been compromised by MS I learned that I can't challenge that proverbial wall...
After my first few exercise sessions with my heart monitor I realized that I might be pushing myself too hard. If I rode 10 miles in one hour on level 4 one day, the next work-out I would try to better that achievement ad infinitum ad infinitum. I realize that not only is it impossible to maintain this trajectory it is also counter-productive.
I had almost convinced myself to ratchet back the intensity of my sessions to the moderate range of 70% (115bpm) to 80% (131bpm) and slowly increase the distance of my rides. But then I saw this "Walter Mitty" poster at the same time I came to the realization that The Tour de Farm MS bike ride is only 5 months away and I have never ridden 35 miles in one day. The furthest I had ridden indoors was 12.5 miles so I decided to shoot for 15 miles. On the machine at my gym you can't set a specific distance as your goal only the riding time so I just estimated that the ride would take around 90 minutes. I started out on level 4 for 5 minutes but I could tell that I needed to pick up the pace so I moved up to level 5. The intensity level is set in WATTS, (the slower you pedal/crank the greater the resistance and as your speed increases the resistance decreases) and I found a sweet-spot at around 85rpms. Staying in that sweet-spot had my heart beating at around 144 bpm (88%) but my arms and shoulders felt fine. Once I reached the 12mile mark I decided to move up to Level 6 just to make sure that I met my mileage goal. There were still a few minutes remaining on the clock so that's when I maxed out at 167bpm as I sprinted into the end.
After all is said and done I am encouraged by this last ride: I peddled approximately half the distance of my 35 miles target in 01:26:00 at an average speed of 11.5mph. I will switch to a training module that incorporates rolling hills with flat stretches in order to more accurately reflect actual riding conditions.
My next step is lay out a plan that incorporates strength training while gradually increasing my distances so I can build up my endurance.
have mentioned that ever since my system has been compromised by MS I learned that I can't challenge that proverbial wall...
After my first few exercise sessions with my heart monitor I realized that I might be pushing myself too hard. If I rode 10 miles in one hour on level 4 one day, the next work-out I would try to better that achievement ad infinitum ad infinitum. I realize that not only is it impossible to maintain this trajectory it is also counter-productive.
I had almost convinced myself to ratchet back the intensity of my sessions to the moderate range of 70% (115bpm) to 80% (131bpm) and slowly increase the distance of my rides. But then I saw this "Walter Mitty" poster at the same time I came to the realization that The Tour de Farm MS bike ride is only 5 months away and I have never ridden 35 miles in one day. The furthest I had ridden indoors was 12.5 miles so I decided to shoot for 15 miles. On the machine at my gym you can't set a specific distance as your goal only the riding time so I just estimated that the ride would take around 90 minutes. I started out on level 4 for 5 minutes but I could tell that I needed to pick up the pace so I moved up to level 5. The intensity level is set in WATTS, (the slower you pedal/crank the greater the resistance and as your speed increases the resistance decreases) and I found a sweet-spot at around 85rpms. Staying in that sweet-spot had my heart beating at around 144 bpm (88%) but my arms and shoulders felt fine. Once I reached the 12mile mark I decided to move up to Level 6 just to make sure that I met my mileage goal. There were still a few minutes remaining on the clock so that's when I maxed out at 167bpm as I sprinted into the end.
After all is said and done I am encouraged by this last ride: I peddled approximately half the distance of my 35 miles target in 01:26:00 at an average speed of 11.5mph. I will switch to a training module that incorporates rolling hills with flat stretches in order to more accurately reflect actual riding conditions.
My next step is lay out a plan that incorporates strength training while gradually increasing my distances so I can build up my endurance.
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