Where Cyclists and Triathletes get Faster/Stronger/Leaner/Sooner
DFAA1 With the Help of FatMaxxer and Garmin Connect Sleep Leads to a GREAT RIDE!
My economy is up, my heart rate is down, my weight is down, and my power is up. SmO2 is also tracking, and I’m starting to adapt.
I know none of this is new, but I do enjoy blogging the approach and the process.
Here’s today’s post-ride summary. Let’s kep the trend going.
Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!
The Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Reveals My Sleep Pattern
I know, I know – I should be using an Oura Ring or some other system for tracking my sleep patterns, but the fact of the matter is tha t I don’t have the ring at this time, and I’m committing myself to the Garmin Ecosystem for now.
The Garmin Fenix 6X Pro is a watch with NIRS technology on it’s underbody. This is used to measure motion, Oxygen Saturation levels, pulse, and more. I quit wearing watches about 20 years ago, but returned to wearing one when I saw the features of the Fenix. The Fenix also pairs to my chest straps, and can track respiratory frequency during exercise, and more accurately at night, if I choose to wear the strap.
Here’s the video preview of today’s ride. I’ll chime in again when I’m done.
Bouncing Between DFAA1 0.75 and 1.00 for Optimal Fat Burn and Aerobic Base Improvement
Having the FatMaxxer Android software on-screen in realtime has brought a new element to my base training. I use the screen to try and keep my intensity between DFAA 1.00 and 0.75. The advantage to this is that I can trust the fraction, more than I can trust the actual heart rate. Furthermore, looking at my power and Vo2max, I was able to keep the value below 40ml/kg/min, averaging about 35ml/kg/min, and I watched my Tidal Volume from the Vo2master, stay around 4.0 liters/breath.
I’m going to focus on economy and aerobic foundation. This is going to be FASCINATING!
Apparently, the winner of this year’s Tour de France, who also won the race LAST YEAR, has a secret. He knows how to SLEEP and RECOVER.
I obviously do not.
I’ve tried everything; blackout curtains, weighted blankets, cold room, no caffeine past 10am, less than two beers a night, no overstimulation for too long…. Nothing really works. I’ve been tracking my Testosterone levels for at least 7 years, to see if that warrants intervention, but honestly, that’s an expensive and invasive step that I’m not willing to take at this time.
But I don’t sleep. And when I don’t sleep, weight management and cycling performance are challenged.
Here’s today’s Pre-Brief that describes the overview of my sleep, my weight gain, and my PREDICTED (not actual), Vo2max via Garmin Connect.
Today’s Ride was just the first step in what will arguably be a four to six week effort to establish a BASE of AEROBIC Fitness. I rode just under 60 minutes, and used the information from FatMaxxer to keep my riding intensity at maximum aerobic intensity.
Yesterday, the Collier DFAA1 Ramp Protocol showed that if I kept my Vo2max under 40ml/kg/min, my HR below 160bpm, and my wattage below about 167 watts, that would be the ideal intensity.
Today, I rode for DFAA1, using the FatMaxxer on my screen, and I increased or decreased my intensity based on that. I DID dip below 0.75 a few times, but not by much, and not for long. It burned about 500 Kj, and felt about right.
Here is the analysis of the ride. I’ll link my files for you HERE:
Thanks for reading and watching, and ENJOY THE RIDE!