How do you monitor your progress ?

weeksy59

ME, i use a Garmin Forerunner 110. Great both in and outside.

Today was a spinning session.... pretty happy with the performance today, i was trying out a new CD the wife knocked up for me, was pretty good actually

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/87504796

Always seem to average around 152bpm for the gym sessions.

njee20

Yep. Power and HR on the road, HR on the MTB.

Don't really 'train' on the MTB or take that much notice of HR - but do log it all on Training Peaks WKO.

springtide9

Thanks for reminding me... I must start taking my Garmin FR to the gym!

I have started to use Strava in conjunction with Garmin Connect.. both on the road and off.

I have a few regular loops where I create 'segments' such as hills or straight TT sections on the road etc, as well as a few regular MTB loops.

Currently training for the Bristol Bikefest... so have been doing a few hours of loops of Ashton Court in preparation. What I like is the ability to easily compare times and average HR on sections or loops etc.

e.g...

Two recent rides...
http://app.strava.com/rides/573929
http://app.strava.com/rides/604458

And I can compare the segment (that is a regular 6 mile loop)...
http://app.strava.com/rides/604458#8996089

Strava is free for up to 5 rides per month. More than that and you have to pay. It's not perfect... but have found it really useful.

Not exactly sure how it's calculated.. but it appears that some segments are automatically created (for hills) and other manually considered segments are visible to other people.... so if you manage to ride a 'global' segment - it gets picked up and you get ranked - so next time you ride that part of the route... you know you are competing against others.... great motivation for pushing yourself (if you ride solo)

So... if you did a loop of say Cwmcarn and pushed the data into Strava and created a segment of the loop - other Strava users who also rode that route would be able to compare themselves... great between friends especially if you ride on different days etc. Would give a new meaning to .... " I had a great day today - I was flying ... "

springtide9

@weeksy59
Finally took the Garmin to the gym. I have only owned it for about a year! lol

I had a go at estimating my ?FTP? on the gym (Startrac) upright bike. I don't think this is considered the best way to measure it, but have read it's not a bad method of getting a really rough estimate, which is also very easy to do.

Basically set the Startrac to manual for 60mins... and keep a constant pace for the 60min interval. Not sure how the watt output really compares to a proper cycling power meter... but I guess it's a value that as you improve gets higher. At the end of the session, the Startrac readout should give you an average power for the session...

Here's the Garmin output..
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/87916378

It was my first go at this (for an hour)... and I found it pretty hard!
Ave HR was 151bpm. Ave Power: 287(Startrac) watts!

weeksy59

Good stuff... i've not done mine on a static/set pace for ages... will have a go early next week as not back in office now till Tues

njee20

20 minutes -5% is a significantly more practical way to test it IMO, I think you tend to slack off during 60 minutes if it's not a real race.

That's a high power output though, either you're rather heavy, it's not that accurate or you need to start doing some racing!

Good effort on your HR, nice and consistent, I'm terrible at going off much too hard and then slowing down.

FWIW my FTP (PowerTap) is 290w for a 66kg mid-table Expert racer.

springtide9

weeksy59 wrote:

Good stuff... i've not done mine on a static/set pace for ages... will have a go early next week as not back in office now till Tues

Thanks. Off until Tuesday... ?? You are always on holiday! :P

njee20 wrote:

20 minutes -5% is a significantly more practical way to test it IMO, I think you tend to slack off during 60 minutes if it's not a real race.

That's a high power output though, either you're rather heavy, it's not that accurate or you need to start doing some racing!

Good effort on your HR, nice and consistent, I'm terrible at going off much too hard and then slowing down.

FWIW my FTP (PowerTap) is 290w for a 66kg mid-table Expert racer.

Thanks. Yes I am heavy at 82kg.. which is a disadvantage... but lighter than the 107kg I was Xmas '09

Pleased with the fairly constant HR etc. The spike at the beginning is just me fiddling with the chest strap. What is interesting is seeing yourself afterwards in the HR graph... slacken off the power and correcting again (you can see the dips etc). It was hard to keep focused for that hour slot.

As for the accuracy, who knows. Theoretically there is no real technical reason why they shouldn't be accurate.. but it's a gym machine... so there is probably a lot of fudge factors going on. We need someone with a Powertap (and known Power output) to give the test a go on the gym bike as a calibration exercise! [anyone with a Powertap and access to a gym?]

As for racing... I'm two weeks away from the Bristol Bikefest event (Old Gits cat lol). As I have kids and one car... have been trying to keep any events local (so that I can cycle to them)
Still looking for an event in July or August.. in the South West or South Wales... don't mind travelling an hour or so from Bristol - as my Afan Monster plans have been scuppered by our family holiday!

weeksy59

cancel the holiday and i'll give you a lift to the Monster

springtide9

weeksy59 wrote:

cancel the holiday and i'll give you a lift to the Monster

Tempting, but... not sure the wife would be too pleased; we are off to Cyprus and staying with my parents! :P

springtide9

Take 2

Can you tell that the Concept 2 Series has finally finished? LOL

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/88109682
Ave HR was 154bpm. Ave Power: 297(Startrac) what's

weeksy59

Got a couple of my latest short after work rides logged in the GPS. Sadly i can access the full info till Tues as the cable is at work.

Basically though
15km each ride.
44mins 10
40mins 09

Giving an average of about 12mph and 14mph.

Considering they're all off-road and fairly hilly, i'm pretty happy with average speeds like that... i rekon anything over 10mph on dirt and you're not doing bad ?

springtide9

weeksy59 wrote:

..
Considering they're all off-road and fairly hilly, i'm pretty happy with average speeds like that... i rekon anything over 10mph on dirt and you're not doing bad ?

Very good. Personally I think anything over 10mph I think is good going on the rough stuff,

Think my last few rides have been between 10-11mph for reference.

weeksy59

Yesterdays was pretty easy stuff i admit. Ridgeway mostly, so nothing techincal.

MountainMonster

I agree with the average speed of about 10 or so to be good. I used to ride to my local trails, 15km each way plus a 10km loop, and had average speed of 19-20kmh most days. 10 sounds about right for just offroad!

springtide9

Take3!

Ave HR was <unknown> forgot my Garmin doh! Ave Power: 303(Startrac) what's

It's going up slowly... but I hurt and where are those compression tights