Training on "long" commutes with a HRM
CJ Bill
Posts: 415
I'm looking at using my commute to improve my cycling fitness: currently got an 11 mile minimum through rolling Cheshire countryside. As we come out of winter I've been expanding these to take advantage of the light so I'm happily doing 18 to 25 in the morning and 18 to 35 in the evenings. I've never been the fastest of cyclists, do a fair bit of touring, mostly want to start improving my times and general fitness.
To this end a month back I got myself a Polar Cad 200 HRM and started looking into how I could use this to improve how I approach my commuting rides. I had a read of some online articles and a book or two and seemed to get some general principles. Going for the six zone system as this calculator uses (http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/b ... c_bcf.html) and decided to go for trying to spend most of my rides in Zone 2 (65 -75% of HRM) with a couple of rides a week on a 15 mile route that allows me to do some HIIT training up a series of four hills where I could max out my heart rate to zone 5/ 6 then recover.
Two questions here then. Firstly, is this approach about right or could I be using my rides more effectively? Now we've got the longer evening I'm planning on going for a three or four hour base building ride on a weekly basis.
Secondly, when I'm looking at calculating my training zones one thing confuses me. In the calculator I linked to above, the zones are calculated from my heart rate max (measured at 195) alone, all well and good. But some calculations use (max heart rate - RHR) + RHR to calculate zones... Using the former system for zone 2 work I should be in the 126 - 146 bpm range, fine. Using the later I should be keeping to 142 - 157 bpm. That's quite a difference and I want to be shooting for the right targets!
To this end a month back I got myself a Polar Cad 200 HRM and started looking into how I could use this to improve how I approach my commuting rides. I had a read of some online articles and a book or two and seemed to get some general principles. Going for the six zone system as this calculator uses (http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/b ... c_bcf.html) and decided to go for trying to spend most of my rides in Zone 2 (65 -75% of HRM) with a couple of rides a week on a 15 mile route that allows me to do some HIIT training up a series of four hills where I could max out my heart rate to zone 5/ 6 then recover.
Two questions here then. Firstly, is this approach about right or could I be using my rides more effectively? Now we've got the longer evening I'm planning on going for a three or four hour base building ride on a weekly basis.
Secondly, when I'm looking at calculating my training zones one thing confuses me. In the calculator I linked to above, the zones are calculated from my heart rate max (measured at 195) alone, all well and good. But some calculations use (max heart rate - RHR) + RHR to calculate zones... Using the former system for zone 2 work I should be in the 126 - 146 bpm range, fine. Using the later I should be keeping to 142 - 157 bpm. That's quite a difference and I want to be shooting for the right targets!
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Comments
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Hi Bill, firstly I'm by far no expert, from my experience I use Friels 5 zone system, my mhr is 198bpm, my zone 2 is 136-151 (Base endurance) this is based on my lactate threshold not mhr, but not far from you 126-146 which is probably not far off the mark (plenty of tests you can do to establish these zones if you google it).
I've only been riding 2yrs or so and have found good gains to be made from tempo and threshold sessions along with regular base runs. I work shifts so when i commute it's 21 miles each way which i ride as tempo sessions there and 3x20 threshold on the home leg, one day 3-5 hour base ride and 2 days of either strength work (hills) or speed work which I rotate every 4 weeks. This has been good for me, others will have their own opinions, just for your reference, again I know we are all different but my tempo is 152-161 and threshold 162-172 if that helps.0 -
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@mick1355: cheers, that's helpful. I'm really going to have to establish my lactate threshold, spent a little while looking for a suitable stretch of road in the Manchester area this weekend to no avail. May have to get in a gym for it at this rate. Think I'll start chucking in tempo sessions and build up the number over the coming weeks.
@bigpickle: thanks for the link, luckily my extended commute is only five miles in the the city then 10+ in the Cheshire countryside which means I can devote a good chunk of time to decent rides (83 mins this morning which blew my post Easter Monday hangover away nicely)0
