Training Advice Sought

[spiderlake]

I was fortunate to inherit a Polar s725 HRM while in France and am using that great fortune as the catalyst to take my cycling to a new level. I log a ton of miles but rarely vary in my speed or distance. For example, my average ride is 21 miles at a 17MPH average on mostly flat terrain. I spend a little over an hour in the saddle on each ride. A couple of times a week I'll bust out a 30-35 mile ride.

I have a few distinct goals in mind:

1. Lose weight - it became quite obvious that my weight is an issue on my first 900 meter ascent and glaringly obvious on the second ascent. In short, a fairly minor climb nearly got the best of me. I would like to lose (don't laugh) 25 pounds and while I know it can be done with portion control, calorie restriction/deficit, I want to be smart about it and incorporate it into a training regimen.

2. Complete a century - There is a hilly century coming up in October that I'd really like to tackle. I initially signed up for the 45 mile route but I really want to tackle the beast of a hill on the 100 mile loop and log my first century.

3. Become a better climber - I rode with some guys in France that AFTER completing the 52 mile ride with me, went back and climbed Columbiere (spelling?). The next day they went and rode Stage 11 (Courchevel to Briancon) that had 2 Cat I and an uncategorized climb without any problems.

So, my questions are:

1. Is there a book that anyone would recommend that describes training and using an HRM? I have heard Friel's book mentioned on this forum but wonder if I'm even at that level to begin here?!?!?

2. Is there a book/website that describes general use of an HRM?

3. Any tips on weight loss?? When I got out of the Army back in '92 I was 150 pounds and have slowly crept up to 180 in the last 10 years. I usually drop down to around 170 in the summer but for some strange reason, that hasn't happened this year. My mileage has increased (double from last year) and I do watch what I eat but my flubber seems stubborn.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any and all advice!!

Darrin

[Ginger]

Darrin,
I'm really no help on the rest...but what century are you doing in October? (I'm always looking for hills in Michigan and I missed the RAT ride last weekend...)

[spiderlake]

Ginger,

The Leelanau Harvest Tour hosted by the CCCC. They also host the Ride Around Torch. I had the wrong date listed in my post. It is September 18th and not in October as I previously mentioned.

http://cherry-capital.com/cccc/LHT2005.pdf

This is a Sunday ride but I heard the CCCC is doing an organized group ride of the same route on Saturday, 17th.

[Too Tall]

For starters be the master of that Polar. They are tricky however do work. I'd be glad to review some files and set base HR training levels...for free!

Also, do the Polar "test" so you can get a read on calories expended during exsercise and that with some basic math will tell you the calories vs exercise conundrum. You want to lose weight? Track what's going on. What you know will reap a lifetime reward.

Hey! Good for you. This is cool.

[zank]

Darrin, I think Joe's book is excellant for cyclists of all abilities. I started using it as a junior awhile back, and have revisited it this year as I am going to take cyclo-cross a little more serious this season. I really love the way his program is laid out. My theory is any plan is better than no plan. Why not start with a good one, right?

On the weight loss subject, it is one I have battled also. I find nothing helps me except for long rides (3+ hours) and cutting out all "liquid" calories such as soda and juice. When I switch to water, I lose the pounds. Of course, I do get liquid calories on the bike. There are other things I have changed, such as trying to limit bread and pasta a bit, but the soda and sweetened iced tea were my biggest problems. Basically, any empty-calories had to go for me.

Speaking of on-the-bike liquid, I have been using a cocktail of pure maltodextrin and Gatorade on all of my rides. I can not really tolerate a very sweet sports drink, especially on really hot days. I bought a 7 lb tub of maltodextrin from bulknutrition.com for $13.00. The link is below. I mix it about 50/50 with powdered Gatroade for some flavor, but the taste is much more mild. I also feel better on long rides vs. Cytomax or Extran. The stuff is dirt cheap to boot.

http://www.bulknutrition.com/?products_id=881

Good luck with your riding and training. I think the most important thing is to have some sort of plan and stick to it. If you choose Joe's, don't be put off by all of the "easy" miles at the beginning. Have patience. You will be rewarded with some great fitness.

[SManning]

Ginger,

The Leelanau Harvest Tour hosted by the CCCC. They also host the Ride Around Torch. I had the wrong date listed in my post. It is September 18th and not in October as I previously mentioned.

http://cherry-capital.com/cccc/LHT2005.pdf

This is a Sunday ride but I heard the CCCC is doing an organized group ride of the same route on Saturday, 17th.

The Leelanau Harvest tour is on the 18th of September. The event that's occurring on the 17th is the Tour de Leelanau, or a Pro/Cat 1-3 Men/Women European style road race. It incorporates a KOM and Sprint competition as well. It looks to be a hoot; not to mention a very tough race.

Sarah

[weisan]

The Leelanau Harvest tour is on the 18th of September. The event that's occurring on the 17th is the Tour de Leelanau, or a Pro/Cat 1-3 Men/Women European style road race. It incorporates a KOM and Sprint competition as well. It looks to be a hoot; not to mention a very tough race.

Sarah

Sarah-pal...please excuse me...I used to know a "Matt Manning" back at where I worked in Austin TX. Is that the "one"? :D Yes/No.

[spiderlake]

The Leelanau Harvest tour is on the 18th of September. The event that's occurring on the 17th is the Tour de Leelanau, or a Pro/Cat 1-3 Men/Women European style road race. It incorporates a KOM and Sprint competition as well. It looks to be a hoot; not to mention a very tough race.

Sarah

Sarah,

I forgot to mention the 'Tour de Leelanau' on the 17th but in addition to the race, CCCC is doing a group ride of the route used for the organized tour on the 18th. At least that is my understanding?!?!?

[spiderlake]

For starters be the master of that Polar. They are tricky however do work. I'd be glad to review some files and set base HR training levels...for free!

Also, do the Polar "test" so you can get a read on calories expended during exsercise and that with some basic math will tell you the calories vs exercise conundrum. You want to lose weight? Track what's going on. What you know will reap a lifetime reward.

Hey! Good for you. This is cool.

TT - Thank you VERY much for your offer of assistance. I will gladly take you up on it and PM you when I have some files ready for review. Again, thank you! You are way too kind and I appreciate it!

[spiderlake]

Darrin, I think Joe's book is excellant for cyclists of all abilities. I started using it as a junior awhile back, and have revisited it this year as I am going to take cyclo-cross a little more serious this season. I really love the way his program is laid out. My theory is any plan is better than no plan. Why not start with a good one, right?

On the weight loss subject, it is one I have battled also. I find nothing helps me except for long rides (3+ hours) and cutting out all "liquid" calories such as soda and juice. When I switch to water, I lose the pounds. Of course, I do get liquid calories on the bike. There are other things I have changed, such as trying to limit bread and pasta a bit, but the soda and sweetened iced tea were my biggest problems. Basically, any empty-calories had to go for me.

Speaking of on-the-bike liquid, I have been using a cocktail of pure maltodextrin and Gatorade on all of my rides. I can not really tolerate a very sweet sports drink, especially on really hot days. I bought a 7 lb tub of maltodextrin from bulknutrition.com for $13.00. The link is below. I mix it about 50/50 with powdered Gatroade for some flavor, but the taste is much more mild. I also feel better on long rides vs. Cytomax or Extran. The stuff is dirt cheap to boot.

http://www.bulknutrition.com/?products_id=881

Good luck with your riding and training. I think the most important thing is to have some sort of plan and stick to it. If you choose Joe's, don't be put off by all of the "easy" miles at the beginning. Have patience. You will be rewarded with some great fitness.


Zank - thanks for the tips! I just ordered a copy of the Cyclists Training Bible and look forward to diving in. The information on hydration is a little over my head right now but I'm sure it will become useful in the near future. I've never had anything but water on my rides. Thanks again!

[SManning]

Sarah-pal...please excuse me...I used to know a "Matt Manning" back at where I worked in Austin TX. Is that the "one"? :D Yes/No.

Matt is my husband; but he didn't live in Austin, TX. Talk about tons of Matt Manning's around, huh?

[zank]

Taking in calories is critical for me on a ride over 2 hours. In the winter/spring, I tend to go with water and solid food. But, in the heat, I have trouble with solid food and go for a sports drink and gels. Just sits better in my stomach. I try to take in 200-300 calories an hour on a long ride. For anything less than 2 hours, I typically just use water. In terms of fluid intake, I shoot for 1 big bottle an hour or more if it is really hot out.

I should have mentioned why I use the maltodextrin. It is flavorless by itself and not sweet at all. It is pure complex-carb. So, when you cut the Gatorade (or any other sports drink) with the malto, you get the calories without any flavor. And like I said, it is dirt cheap.

Good luck!!