Body Butter
Firstly, weight and bodyfat... Now don't get me wrong, I realise that I'm no pro' and that 4% bodyfat is unachievable for me. However, it's fair to say that in the last two or three years, a fair old amount of 'body' has appeared where it once wasn't! In short, I need to deal with it before it turns into a permanent lardy addition.
The extra weight I'm currently carrying isn't going to slow me down massively (I'll talk more about this later). However, I'd like to be the best I can be, and if the marginal gain of losing some adipose tissue can be had, then I'll take it! I need to lose this weight (it's mainly bodyfat!) the right way though. I'm not going to 'diet' or do 'fat burning' rides on an empty stomach having consumed black coffee (many cyclist's preferred method of torture). I'm just going to 'eat clean' and limit the amount of 'empty kcals' such as alcohol and chocolate I consume. This, along with some natural weight loss that occurs during longer rides, should get things back into the realms of athleticism without impairing my ability to train hard because I have a kcal deficit and no energy.
'Athletic weight' to me I reckon is 11 - 11,3 in imperial, which is around 70kgs. I'm currently at 11,11 (75kgs) having managed to come down from over 12 stones (79kgs at one point!).
Of course, I also need to be careful that I don't lose any muscle mass from the wrong places (legs) as that might knock my power output down a bit (which would have a far greater effect on performance than losing a few lbs in weight). To keep a check on things, I'll calliper test myself to determine my fat levels in different areas. I'll also take some circumferential measurements as an additional guide as to how my body is changing. I'll log them all in a table and of course, publish them all for you to see in the next blog!
Watt Power?
Power to weight ratio is really important if you want to ride a bike as fast as possible. I've already talked about my weight, so let's focus now on the power I can produce.
Firstly, there are many different 'types' of power a cyclist can produce including; 'Max Power' (max output over 6 seconds usually), 'Max Minute Power' (highest average power sustainable over a minute) and 'Functional Threshold Power' (average power that can be held for one hour). For more details on these have a look at www.wattbike.com - there is a real simple explanation of everything on there! Obviously, all types of power are important for a cyclist, but some are of higher value than others in certain disciplines. I've decided that for what I'm doing, I'm interested in the more endurance based measurements.
The type of power we are good at generating is largely trainable, but there is also a strong genetic element to it. The old saying 'You can't turn a donkey into a racehorse' certainly applies in my case. My previous experiences in cycling have also told me that I'm not a particular specialist in any area either. So I'm going to be realistic in my expectations of what power outputs I'll be able to produce.
I won't be training to pre-determined power values using a powermeter either. I don't like the idea of 'prescribed' training as it is often very difficult to get training intensities perfect for that particular day. I'd rather play it by ear and get 'in tune' with my body. For me, powermeters are a great way of reflecting on what you've done - not dictating your ride. Fail to reflect on your training, and there's a fair chance of not getting anywhere near your potential. Training is largely an evolution of ideas, implementation and the results you get from them, so make sure you have a coherent plan and reflect on it regularly!
Instead of powermeters I'll be relying on 'feel' and a few 'Hill tests' to check my fitness progress every so often. These tests will use my Garmin linked up with info off Strava (you may have noticed that I've added a Strava widget to my blog). Combining info from both of these, I can work out an important value called 'Watts per kg'. It's a number that is specific to the length of the climb you're riding up, but it's a value that is widely used in cycling and will allow me to see my ability over different types of terrain. I'll be using the 'Ferrari' method for determining this measure of power to weight.
Last year, over climbs of 3-10 minutes duration, I was producing around 5.5-5.9 Watts per kg. Anything over 10 minutes though and that number dropped to horrendously low levels (less than 4 W/kg. This was probably due to two reasons: Firstly, my bodyweight will have meant that I was trying harder than I should have been right from the start of the climb - meaning that I will have been using and exhausting my anaerobic energy system (high energy but with lactic acid as a by-product) after the first five or six minutes. Secondly, my aerobic energy system and anaerobic thresholds, will not have been as efficient or high respectively as they could have been due to a severe lack of time on bike (I averaged around 3 hours riding a week last summer!). If I can use my anaerobic system more sparingly by using my aerobic energy system more effectively and perhaps also pushing my anaerobic threshold up higher so that when I am trying hard I can push myself that little bit more, then hopefully I should see my climb times tumble!
My power to weight goal this year, is to up my Watts per kg on climbs lasting 10-30 minutes duration. To do this, I therefore need to sustain the power output that I can already achieve for longer by training my CV and muscular systems (particularly my aerobic energy system). If I can also reduce my dead weight by 5kgs too, then that could make a speed difference worth having.
In numbers:
A weight loss of 5kgs could cut up to 1 min 20 seconds off a 20 minute duration climb. A sustainable power gain of 20 Watts could make a similar saving. They, therefore, are my objectives. If I achieve these, then my big goal of achieving 6.2 W/kg over the shorter climbs I have locally should be achievable.
Hope that wasn't too dull! All feedback gratefully received!
Paul
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