Why keep stats?

Feelings are tricky things at the best of times. Feelings within relationships are a mine field. Anyone who bases a love relationship on feelings is pretty much stuffed (lets not go there). But how you feel on the bike is just as subjective. July is mid-year, Tour de France, winter in melbourne. In terms of motivation on the bike it is easy to beat yourself up that you are not doing enough, not strong enough, not as fit as last year. But what data do you have to really benchmark how you are going?

Garmin Forerunner 305

For the anal-retentives and super organised, elaborate spreadsheets or training diaries are kept of each ride to the extent that when you farted and shiverred is even recorded. However most of us just want to ride and the only really ride analysis is "how did I feel" or "how do I feel now." To tell you the truth I am feeling a little under done in my riding at the moment. Too much work, lots of family commitments and plenty of unstable weather. I knew that on raw kilometres ridden I had a pretty strong winter in 2010. Already I knew I had not done as many kms year to date this year as last year.

Thankfully I do use a Garmin 305 for most of my rides. Most rides I do, whether on road bike or single speed MTB, I strap on the Garmin and press START. This gives me a good record of total time, elevation, distance, average speed and heart rate.

Report from "Garmin Connect"

Garmin have a handy online feature called "Garmin Connect." This site has a "Reports" page which mean I can ask for my stats year to date for 2011 and compare them to 2010. To my surprise and reassurance my stats for this year were not too bad compared to last year. My total hours of riding for 2011 Feb-July was only down 7%. My total kms ridden was down 16% from the same period in 2010. However I was encouraged to discover that my total elevation was up 7%. This made sense because I had been commuting more on a SS MTB doing shorter commutes but with more climbing. Also almost all of my long weekend rides (when I did actually get out) had been in the hills. No flat bay rides for this bunny!

No eveyone has a GPS bike computer (I was given the Garmin as a hand-me-down from a friend and have loved this addition to my cycling kit from day one.) But a simple spreadsheet of kms ridden, average speed and time would go a long way in actually comparing your data with your feelings. Just a thought!

Sure I still need to pull my finger out but with 6 months to go till Alphine Classic it is good to keep things in perspective and more importantly keep motivated and keep enjoying my riding. Just remember - life is better on a bike!

Sluggish

Got dressed-undressed and then dressed again to ride to work this morning as the weather changed by the second.  Then felt sluggish...18km on SS MTB.  Ride home will be interesting as the westerly picks up.

I absolutely revelled in the fine settled weather last week.  I did a loop of Research Road on consecutive day and actually felt composed as I climbed out of Warrandyte.  Not wearing a heart rate belt on rides at the moment.  Just trying to watch my form and save the knees and lower back.  Been having some issues with these.

Might even hit the windtrainer this week.  Poo Poo to sluggish.

Wet and Cold

So my personal goal this week was to do four consecutive days of commuting using the single speed mountain bike with consentration on seated tension efforts.  The weather yesterday and today has tested this goal.  My commute home yesterday was delayed by 20mins while I let the hail storm pass by.  This morning it was raining as I walked the bike and the kids to school.  I wish I had a dollar for every parent and teacher that stated "you're going to get wet."  Well done Sherlock!  They were right.  Every one of my three layers got wet and with the wind I was getting colder not warmer the longer I rode.  I have garments now drying in 2 different offices.  I'm expecting the same conditions on the way home.

D:  17.5km
E:  235m gain
T: 50mins
W: 67kg

Riding - the numbers Game

Whether you are a weekend warrior, club racer or commuter on a bike, you know that doing what we love - riding a bike - is a numbers game.  Sure you can do things to reduce risk, and certainly a crash on the bike will help you reassess some of the risks we take.  But as one riding mate said to me "take anything else from me, but please don't take this!" Many of my mates would give up fame, fortune, and change 10 nappies a day...but struggle to be off the bike for even a day.  I am deeply sorry for the loss of Wouter Weylandt's team mates and family.  This touches all of us who love the bike and have some appreciation of the risks these guys face to show off a sport that we love at the highest level.

See link to cycling central for the full story of 26 yr old Wouter Weylandt who died in stage 3 of Tour of Italy this week.  cyclingcentral/news/Weylandt

A perfect day

 Now there are many things that could happen in a day to make it "perfect".  But for a bike keen dad something like your first born learning to ride a bike on their own, would have to rank right up there.  For those who read a recent post "kids on bikes" today was like pay day.  At my boy's request he asked for his pedals to be put back on as he had decided that his scooting days were over and today he was going to ride.  Sure enough within mintues he was on the pedals balancing and off on his own steam.  I got to admit I got a bit teary after yelling cheers so the whole neighbourhood could hear.  After a few laps of our street, ideal due to being closed to through traffic, Jonathan came to the following conclusion.  "See Dad, soon I will be riding with cars and climbing mountains with you."  I tell you my heart was bursting with pride.

So here is "cheers" to Jonathan, well on his way to a lifetime I pray of fun on a bike.

I survived coffee in Croydon

Ok so yesterday was my holiday weekend hit out.  After two bouts of tonsillitis and a minor day surgery procedure, all this cost me three weeks off the bike.  So Dan's email for Mt Dandenong loop starting with the 1in20 was too irresistible if not a little ambitious for my first ride back.  Riding with Khoder and the good Dr Stephen (aka Taka) is becoming a bit of a habit and most enjoyable.  However with Ethan riding with us I felt totally out classed with a pair of Zipp 303's on one side and a pair of Lightweights on the other.  Khoder assured me that the Open Pros have a place in history - hopefully not ancient history.

Taka leading up 1in20.

Taka took the lead up 1in20 and I was quite happy to be delivered to the basin on the back of Dan's wheel.  In hindsight I should have just stayed there.  Three weeks ago I did this climb in 17mins 45secs.  Yesterday I would have been happy with 24mins. 

Me recovering and taking a photo as an excuse.

By the first water tank I was at 199 bpm (about 105%) and I was not recovering.  The boys thought I had pulled over to take this photo - really I was stuffed.
I recovered slightly for on the false flat but that was a big mistake as I red lined and that was that. Saun, Ethan, Taka and Khoder did the climb easily in 19mins.  Awesome. Dan considered it gracious that I waited to climb with him.  I assured him there was no grace involved, it was totally selfishih

Thankfully the plan at the top of 1in20 was not really a plan at all.  I was dreading hill repeats of Perrins Creek Road or even The Wall would have tipped me over the edge.  After a farewell to Ethan it was a very leisurely "recovery" back down the Mountain via Silvan Reservoir and then back to Montrose.

The search for a coffee stop proved to be the most difficult part of the ride.  Montrose gave us nothing - expect the offer of a Ice Coffee or Big M from IGA.  We headed to Croydon where we found a Bakery which served coffee in between the Dora The Explorer theme cakes and Tinkerbell pinatas.  Dan was happily convinced that the locals would take the Giant of the S-Works, if only on the grounds of familiarity of the brand!  We all know Giants are easier to flog on EBay or at the pub.

So I was happy to be again humbled by the 1in20 and looking forward to a solid month of commuting and even a weekly wind-trainer session to get the base back.   I must get fit for Dan's "Birthday Ride" and his mum's homemade waffles...hmmm.

D: 97km
E: 12016m

Kids on bikes

Just had an awesome extra long weekend and Easter at Barwon Heads.  Not begrudgingly I did leave my bike at home and took instead both the kids bikes.  I really wanted to give them the best chance to get some confidence on the bike and I was wrapped at the outcome.



Firstly, removing the pedals off Jonathan's bike giving him the freedom  to "scoot" along.  This gave him a sense of balance on the bike and in fact gave him a fair bit of speed on the footpaths, terrorising weekenders and locals alike.  He was quick to point out some pretty dodgy handbrakes and encouraged me to spend some time maintaining his bike as much as I did mine. 

Sunday bunch ride

 Teesh was just a star on her bike.  Now a bit taller and able to reach and push the pedals with more confidence.  She still wanted me walking alongside her which usually mean me push her.  But she soon worked out to really get moving she needed to push.  So morning and afternoon the kids were keen to do another lap of the Heads, including the new pedestrian bridge across the river.

Riding across the new bridge.

7am ride.  Got the bridge to ourselves!

  Looking forward to many more rides with my most treasured little bunch!