Actual versus Planned Training

Actual versus Planned Training

Activity: 22nd February to 28th February - 1 week

Planned Training                      Actual Training          

Strength & Conditioning x 3                  Strength & Conditioning x 2

Bike Ride x 2 (80 miles)                      Bike Ride  x 3 (103 miles)

TOTAL = 5 episodes of training              TOTAL = 5 episodes of training

AWESOMENESS MILEAGE!! I will be cycling approximately 440 miles per week come the actual event - so a bit more training required yet.. working up to it slowly!!

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Heart Rate Zones

Morning ride with Jen to Poynton - 31 miles in total, few hills to tackle: here is my heart rate data:so most of the time in Zone 3&4 (60-80% of MHR - for more info see below). 

ZONE	%HRR	BPM	TIME	% ZONE
Z1	30% - 50%	98 - 120	00:23:35	13%
Z2	50% - 60%	120 - 131	00:31:12	18%
Z3	60% - 70%	131 - 142	00:45:57	26%
Z4	70% - 80%	142 - 153	00:51:18	29%
Z5	80% - 90%	153 - 164	00:23:12	13%
Z6	90% - 110%	164 - 186	00:01:04	1%

Heart Rate Zones: What Do They All Mean?

 Billy Pratt, CPT, CPFT, PAS, GIPS  Feb 1, 2011

The higher your HR, the harder you are working and here is where we come to the definition of cardiovascular exercise intensity, which is the percentage of your Maximum Heart Rate (an estimation of the maximum number of times your heart can beat in one minute).  Someone exercising at 85% of their MHR is working harder and placing more of a demand than somebody working at 65% MHR.

The mistake often made when trainees look at these percentage charts is in looking just at the individual zones and not at the complete picture.  Yes, training at the 50-60% range does burn fat however all of these effects are cumulative as you move up the cardiovascular intensity spectrum.  If you move into the “cardiovascular zone” (60-85%), you may not be using existing fat stores as the primary fuel source but you will be burning more calories.  Caloric expenditure is of prime importance for those looking to lose bodyfat.  It therefore makes much more sense to train at the higher intensity level if fat loss is your goal, given that you will be burning more calories and achieving greater cardiovascular conditioning at the same time (increasing the fitness level of your heart & lungs). 

Fat loss is definitely part of the aim of my training!! So need to keep this sort of effort up. 69% of the ride was in the right zones to achieve this - at MHR 60-90%. Now you know why the data is so important!!!! 

Actual versus Planned Training

Activity: 8th February to 21 February - 2 weeks

Planned Training                       Actual Training

Strength & Conditioning x5                     Strength & Conditioning x7

Bike Ride x 3 (75 miles)                         Bike Ride  x3 (85 miles)

TOTAL = 8 episodes of training               TOTAL = 10 episodes of training

(average 4 per week)                            (average 5 per week)

AWESOME - cranking it up!!

God comes first!

So - Sunday the 20th, the  cycling club I have just joined (Macclesfield Wheelers) were doing this fantastic ride around Alderley Edge - 46 miles & lots of hill climbing, excellent training for LEJOG. I soooo wanted to go, but I was on the rota at church for "door steward" (handing out the bibles and song-books as people come into church). I've only been doing this for 2 months and I changed my first ever Sunday, so I felt I couldn't ask to change the 2nd one as well!! So, God won, & quite rightly so. There will be plenty of uphill cycling opportunities over the next 4 months, especially as I have taken on a new personal trainer who specialises in cycling training!!

He, Rick, is going to help with my hill-climbing because I HAVE  to get up the hills on my bike, no getting off and pushing! I want to be able to say that I CYCLED from Lands End to John Groats!! I've checked with the guy leading the "tour" and the steepest hill we face in Cornwall will be 25% - fortunately he hasn't told me where it is or how long the hill is......  I start with Rick on April 4th at 8am in the morning..... rain or shine! 

In the meantime my next ride with Macclesfield Wheelers is March 6th. It's a Sunday (and Mother's Day) so I won't be going to church that day - I'll praise God on my bike and ask for His help during the 100 km (60 mile) ride instead.

Good cycling last Saturday

So - quite a lot to catch up on... Saturday's bike ride went well; 36 miles and , according to Strava:

44.8% climbing

    (16 miles uphill!!)    

35.9% flat;      19.3% downhill

1hr 55 mins climbing time

5.5mph average climbing speed 

(as you can see bit slow on the hills)

It certainly felt like we did a lot of climbing - up onto the moors, down off the moors and back up on to the moors again, and the breakdown above shows my legs were right - all good practise though.

Just checked "Strava" again and majority of climbs seemed to be between 5% and 14% with the odd 17% incline thrown in - all good practice for LEJOG.

Managed to complete my indoor bike routine this Wednesday successfully - no throwing up this time. 100 minute workout; the bike computer said I used up 780 cals but Lucasz (our coach at SC360, our gym) said unless you put "age, weight, height" into the computer it will be about 40% out - so used up about 480 cals; but average Watts (power through pedals) was 121 - which is good for me!! (Cav puts 1500 through his when sprinting for the line!!??). 

Told you, I'd start boring you with "data" at some point!

Change of Plan... snow!

So, in the last post I said I was going to do 50 miles tomorrow, Saturday - change of plan.... The route we (Jen & I) were going to do, up to Hartington, is a no go 'cos they've had snow there today (Jen's parents live there, so that's how we know!!). Instead we'll stay around here - still going to be climbing though. I've put in two potential cafe stops in case it's really cold, bbrrr! Mileage will be 30ish in the end, not 50. On reflection, not a bad thing - it is only February and I have until April to work up to doing that sort of mileage.

Oh, yes, in case you haven't noticed - Mark Cavendish is my cycling hero, hence the photos of him. I've got lots to share with you!! The one below was taken at the Tour of Britain about 3 years ago - he smiled right at me! OH! YES HE DID!

Why, oh why, oh why??

It's not that I'm beginning to wonder why I ever thought of cycling Lands End to John O'Groats - I'm beginning to wonder why I ever thought that I could do it?!

Went out yesterday for a nice flat, bike ride on the Cheshire Plain (around Jodrell Bank) with cycling buddy Jen and cycling hubby Geoff - but by the time I got home I was shattered, after only 34 miles - it just doesn't seem to be getting any easier. I got home and thought - If this was a day on "LEJOG" I'd only be half way into the daily mileage, HELP!!

Anyway I have managed to tell myself that the lack-lustre performance is due "caffeine" withdrawal!! I have given up coffee for Lent, and I am in the throws of withdrawal headaches and withdrawal aches and pains; anyway that's my excuse - I'll keep you posted.

Hoping to go out and do 50 miles on Saturday - but the weather isn't looking hopeful, snow is forecast; may have to use the indoor bike instead; I definitely do not do snow!!

Have put weight on... it's muscle?!

Went out with Macclesfield Wheelers (local cycling club) today, Sunday. Did about 34 miles with some hills at the start, which I'm very pleased about, 'cos I managed to get up them!! - unlike last week where I had to get off and push my bike. Admittedly the hills weren't as steep but they were still taxing!(20% briefly!!??)

Not posting my vital statistics today as I have managed to put weight on, aarrgh! Of course it's muscle......

Actual vs Planned Training Sessions

Actual Versus Planned


1st - 7th February
Planned Training                 Actual Training
Strength & Conditioning x3               Strength & Conditioning x2
Bike Ride x1 (40 miles)                    Bike Ride x1 (34 miles)
                                                    Indoor Training Bike (75 minutes)

TOTAL = 4 episodes of training          TOTAL = 4 episodes of training

Hurrah! - not what I had planned, but was able to alter according to the weather and do 4 sessions.
Next week I have 5 sessions planned.

Snowing here - so indoor bike ride instead....

Snow stopped cycling outdoors today - usually go out with Jen and do between 30-35 miles on a Wednesday, depending on the terrain. But not today, because of the snow I decided to use our indoor bike. Geoff downloaded a new 90 minutes training video, got 30 minutes into it  - doing the climbing section and threw up!!! They do say not to go off too fast on the hills - so even simulating a hill climb you need to be aware!! Anyway managed to "get back on" and carry on. Couldn't put the effort in or finish the 90 minutes though, as every time my heart rate went up to 150+ I felt sick. Better luck next time!! 

Hoping to bore you with a graph of my "heart zones" - but luckily for you, my Garmin didn't save it!!

I must have been working hard though as in 75 minutes I used up 500+ calories, awesome!