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Pink Noise MIGHT Be Helping Me Sleep….

Sleep Improves With Colder Temps, Heavier Blankets, and… Pink Noise?

It’s been a couple of days now, but I’ve been going to sleep with the continuous drone of Pink Noise emanating from my phone. There are a LOT of things that are forcing me awake at times, but I’m trying to mitigate them, one at a time. The cooler temps will help, I believe. So will the need for heavier blankets. I’m enjoying the darkness at night and in the morning. My Brother-In-Law is trying to find housing for himself and his dog. I’m definitely feeling the positive effects of drinking just one beer a night, most nights. But I recently read that Pink Noise (like white noise, but… different), may help people improve their time in Deep and REM Sleep.

I think, for the most part, I am sleeping long enough. I usually crater around 9:00pm, and I have an alarm set for 6:00am. I have been driving a young man to work every morning, and picking him up around 3:30 every afternoon. This will end on Wednesday, I believe. For the most part, I have been exercising in the morning, and I’m changing that to midafternoon, after this driving contract ends. That may also help.

Pink Noise uses lower frequencies of the same amplitude. I can BARELY tell the difference between White Noise and Pink Noise, but then again, I have a tin ear and poor musical taste. I turn the app on about ten minutes before I fall asleep, and it remains on most of the night. Unfortunately, I have just barely begun getting some results, but it does seem that I’m improving. I still wake up between 1 and 3 am, but the time before I wake up, I’m in DEEP sleep, and after I finally fall asleep again, I tend to spend time in REM Sleep. Today, for instance, I really do feel better. I hope the ride this afternoon yields some DFAA1/wattage results. We’ll have to see. Here’s the video…:

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75 XSS for 75 Days – 3 Weeks In.

***** THIS DID NOT PUBLISH ON JULY 4th, 2021 LIKE I EXPECTED. PLEASE EXCUSE THE TECHNICAL GLITCH. I AM WORKING ON AN END-OF-JULY REPORT NOW. *******

75 XSS Is Bringing me VOLUME, But What Else Am I Accomplishing?

XSS (Xert Strain Score) is a metric that looks at the time you spend riding, the energy you use, and the intensity with which that energy is spent. Several weeks back, after a great winter and then an odd spring, I announced that I would be aiming for 75 XSS per ride, at least 5 days per week for 75 Days. I’m now 21 days in for my goal. Let’s see where things stand.

Xert Progression Chart

Xert Training Load
The Goal was to earn 75 XSS per day, at least 5 days per week. This is the view of my Training Load as of July 4, 2021

When I self-declared my goal of 75 XSS for 75 Days, I was sitting at an Xert Training Load of 35 XSS. This was on May 26th. On June 20th, I publicly announced my goal, and began to focus on the volume. The Xert Training Load had migrated to 43.8 XSS. At three weeks, XSS is now at 53.4.

Xert Planner Weekly Stats -75 XSS is creating a good Ramp Rate

Xert Planner Weekly Stats
By increasing my AEROBIC LOW INTENSITY RIDES, I’m increasing my XSS/day, pushing my ‘Focus’ further out into the aerobic range, and pushing ‘Polarity’ out to 95-97% sub-threshold efforts.

The Xert Planner Weekly Stats show several other positive markers. The week of May 31st, I accumulated 5.2 hours and averaged 47XSS/Day. Over the next four weeks, hourly volume increased to roughly 10 hours per week. This has led to an average XSS/Day of 78.3 points, and a Ramp Rate of around 3.3 XSS.

Weekly Focus actually migrated OUT towards more aerobic values, but it has remained in the ‘Climber’ category for the past three weeks.

Polarity Ratio remains highly aerobic, with 96 to 97 percent of my rides occurring in the ‘aerobic’ intensity. You may recall in a previous post that I performed three or more DFAA1 HRV Ramp protocols to best determine my TRUE Lower Threshold.

75 XSS and Weight Loss

Using the Garmin Index Smart Scale,  I routinely track my body weight, before and after most rides. MOST of my low-intensity rides have been with a Vo2master gas-exchange analyzer on my face, so I don’t drink for the 90 minutes or so that I am out. I routinely consume 16oz of Preload from NBS Nutrition, as a way to stave off losses due to dehydration, and I also ride at earlier hours to avoid heat stroke (I did suffer a heatstroke in June of 2010, which left me with PERMANENT stroke nerve damage in my right eye – don’t try to pass me on my right side, please).

For myself, 75 XSS translates into about 750 KiloJoules of energy per ride. This is roughly 800, or thereabouts. I’ll have more information on this parameter as the Vo2master feature list grows.

Weight has dropped about 2 KG, which is a nice side effect. Body fat is too low to track, and remains stuck at 7%. Biompedence monitors tend to miss Body Fat Percentages for my Somatotype.

Garmin Index Smart Scale Weight Tracking
With the added 75 XSS, I’m burning over 60g of fat per the Xert Garmin Fat/Carb Field, and it’s starting to show with lowered body mass.

75 XSS and Xert Fitness Signature

75 XSS Xert Progression Chart
Xert Signature Results are trending up in “Lower Training Load”, “Lower Threshold Power”, but they’re flat on “Threshold Power”, and other metrics are less clear.

The Xert Progression Chart includes a number of parameters that have value, but are perhaps poorly explained. The default parameters are: Threshold Power, High Intensity Energy, and Peak Power. Lower Threshold Power is also presented and available. However – Lower Training Load and High Training Load, as well as Focus and Specificity, bear some remarks.

My chart shows some interesting trends:

First – 75 XSS over 5 out of 7 days per week lends itself to at least 350 XSS per week. With several long rides on Sundays, I’ve been averaging closer to 500 points (See chart above). As a result of all this lower intensity work, my LOWER TRAINING LOAD has been steadily rising. Ironically, my HIGH TRAINING LOAD has also been rising. This is a bit of a mystery, given my 95:5 and 97:3 Polarity Ratios.

Second – My “Specificity” has gone from about 31% Polarized, to 43% Polarized, and back down to 29% Polarized. I believe I know where this range came from; my wife and I were mountain biking until mid June, when the drought and fire risk pulled me off my mountain bike – the trails are just too marbly and loose to climb or descend with any confidence. I am now specifically road cycling, and can control my intensity more broadly.

Third – “FOCUS” has bounced from “Climber” to “GC Specialist” and back, as my Fitness Signature continues to meander. “GC Specialist” is in the 8-minute range of intensity, and I believe this has to do with the fact that I cannot climb the 800m, 9.2% climb to my house at much less than 300 watts. This short, 2-3 minute effort completely alters the “FOCUS” of a ride, from “–:–” to “8:00”, depending upon how much time I spend above my 5 to 3 minute MMP (which correctly drifts down as MPA drops above Threshold. )

Fourth – I have NOT spent much time worrying about my Fitness Signature. I did achieve one BT in late May, but the “Focus” has been on 75 XSS. My Signature has not changed much with the added volume, but the weight loss has improved my Power-to-Weight Ratio. My HIE values have dropped a bit, but again, Anaerobic Work Capacity is not a focus at this time – Overall Volume is.

CONCLUSION

75 XSS for 75 Days is a work in progress for me. I am enjoying the Time on the Bike. I’m confident that this is building towards greater capacity and lighter weight. When climbing, I’ve seen some Vo2 values in the low and mid 60’s, which is something I’m excited about as a 51-year old with a 35-year pedigree in endurance activities. I’m going to start working on some more intensity as July Progresses, and will use that to hit my 75 XSS. As August approaches, I’ll try to migrate my Polarity Ratio closer to 90:10, and will attempt breakthroughs more frequently. Perhaps most importantly, I want to set some PR’s on the hill outside my home, and on a Category 1 climb outside of Virginia City, NV.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

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Testing For DFAa1 to Determine Lower Threshold Power

The DFAa1 Ramp Test Helped Me Set A More Accurate Lower Threshold Power

The DFAa1 Ramp Test is a protocol that shows cyclists where their bodies begin to change biologically when under strain. It uses Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and I have studied it since at least 2004, when I wrote a pocket book for Suunto for their T6 watch. The absolute distilled version of Heart Rate Variability says, “The heart is beating when it wants to, vs. beating when it has to.” In other words, no two beats are the same. A stochastic heart rate is a happy heart. A consistent heart rate is a strained heart.

When the Strain of heart rate contractions reaches a value of around .75, then it’s time to look at the actual heart rate itself, as well as the power being generated by the cyclist. With that value, we then have a much better idea of a cyclist’s Lower Threshold Power.

Why is an Accurate Lower Threshold Power So Important?

Lower Threshold Power is the KEY to POLARIZED TRAINING. When a cyclist is riding below their Lower Threshold Power, they’re teaching the body to become more economical. They’re teaching the body how to improve STAMINA. They’re teaching the body to BURN FAT. Over time, with regular testing and Progression, the DFAa1 test can reveal economy at higher heart rates, and higher wattages. If you believe in Polarized Training, then it should be 80-90% of your overall training volume. But ride too hard, and the gains are not as solid.

I’ve been using the Fitness Signature Values from Xert for years, which include a calculation for Lower Threshold Power. Lower Threshold Power can be found via a Lactate Test, a Vo2 test, and through the use of a Moxy Muscle Oxygen Monitor, but all of these are expensive, all of them have margins of error, and the Lactate Test is invasive.

Having a modern heart rate chest strap that can calculate HRV, and using a cheap app to reveal the data, provides everything we need to know, for less than $100usd.

What is the DFAa1 Test?

My friend and fellow coach, Richard Collier, of London, UK, was the first to really compel me to attempt this test. This is his protocol, based on conversations with Dr. Bruce Rogers, Marco Altini, a professor in Japan, and the developers of the www.runalyze.com website in Germany.

I have since named the workout after Richard, in my Xert Workout Library.

It’s a simple ramp test, from 55 to 105% of Threshold Power (NOT Lower Threshold Power), over 24 minutes and 30 seconds.

What do I need to test?

We begin by setting our Garmins up to record HRV via BLE.

To begin, go into your Garmin head unit settings, and press “System”.

Garmin 1030 System Page
Start by going into the “System” page on your modern Garmin.

Then press “Data Recording”.

Garmin 1030 Data Recording Page
Select “Data Recording”

Set ‘Recording Interval’ to ‘1 Sec’. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see “Log HRV”. Turn that feature ON.

Garmin 1030 Log HRV Page Setting
Set ‘Recording Interval’ to 1-sec (always do this), and set ‘Log HRV’ to ‘ON’.

Next, make sure you have one of the preferred BLE Channel Heart Rate Chest Straps.

Go back into “Settings”, and press “Sensors”. Then press “Search All”.

Garmin 1030 Search All Sensor Setting
Press “Search All”. – You MIGHT have to turn the Garmin off and then back on again to catch the BLE signal.

And just WAIT.

It SHOULD give you a “BLE” AlphaNumeric Identifier. Select that, save it, and you’re good to go on that part. Remember – you do NOT want the ANT+ version of the signal. You want the BLE.

Garmin 1030 BLE Chest Strap Discovery
This takes time, and it may require a Garmin reboot. Go with the Polar H10 HR strap, or the Garmin HRM Pro strap. I also love the 4III’s Viiiva strap.

Next, go ahead and download “HRV Logger”, from either iOS or Google Play on Android. It’s a good backup and it will visually help you ‘see’ where this 0.75 fraction exists.

DFAa1 HRV Logger by Marco Altini
The DFAa1 HRV Logger by Marco Altini and ASMA gives you a visual display of your DFAa1 Fraction, as well as providing a great backup data source. ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR DATA!

Finally, go ahead and buy a one-year subscription to www.runalyze.com. Believe me; if you can spend $10/mo on a training platform, $12 for an app on a phone, and NOT spend $$ on a coach, then the $30 you’ll spend on Runalyze, just for the DFAa1 interpretation, is well worth it.

OR, you can do the test and send me the data, which is what most of my clients do, and I’ll run it through everything for you.

The DFAa1 Test and Results (for me).

Thus far, I have performed three DFAa1 tests. Here are the results:

Richard Wharton Xert DFAa1 HRV Test
There’s not much to see here – just a standard ramp protocol with heart rate included. If I were using the old school method of trying to identify a deflection point for THRESHOLD, not LOWER THRESHOLD, I’d guess 172-175 bpm. But that’s NOT Lower Threshold. So let’s see what Runalyze shows.

This is one of the tests, performed in late May.

Here’s the HRV data from www.runalyze.com:

Richard Wharton Runalyze HRV DFAa1 Test Results
Some important notes here: 1) Set ‘window overlap’ to ‘115’. 2) Click to ‘Heart Rate’ and look for high validity and low artifacts. 3) Look at the Heart Rate first, and then think ‘When was the last time I rode a bike based on my Heart Rate?’

And here’s the Power…

Richard Wharton Runalyze HRV DFAa1 Test Results
Note: Lower Threshold Power = 172 watts. This was in late May of 2021, when I was first experimenting with DFAa1 testing.

Now – here’s the data that I just got from a test run on Sunday, June 27th, after two weeks of consistent 75 XSS training, and an emphasis on staying BELOW my Lower Threshold Heart Rate (and Power)…..

Richard Wharton DFAa1 Late June 2021 Heart Rate
HR for Lower Threshold went from 147 to 158, a 7% rise.

And here’s the Power…

Richard Wharton DFAa1 Power reading late June 2021
Note the ‘mounds’ of dots on the first half of the image. Remember the mantra from 2004: “It beats because it WANTS TO, vs. beating because IT HAS TO.” This is that value, visualized. Power at Lower Threshold rose from 172 to 205w, a 16% rise.

CONCLUSION: Use the DFAa1 Collier Ramp Test on a regular basis to help your POLARIZED Training.

In order to keep this short enough, I’m going to stop here. Next post, however, I’ll show you the Vo2master data from these rides. I’m riding for 75 XSS BELOW my DFAa1 HR, but my NORMALIZED WATTAGE keeps RISING!

It’s literally a ‘more watts per beat’ situation, and I am really loving it.

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75 XSS for 75 Days – First 14 Days

75 XSS for 75 Days – What’s Happening to my Fitness?

XSS Stands for Xert Strain Score. It’s a way to combine time and energy at different intensities. It’s a measure of Cycling Volume. While I unofficially began thinking about this goal in late May, I announced the plan on this forum later, in Mid June. So it’s been about a week since I last posted, and roughly 2 weeks since I started. Let’s take a look at the Xert data, and then, let’s take a look at the information coming out of my Vo2 master for some of the rides. I think this is very revealing, and it augments some of the prevailing theories out in the blogosphere, while it also refutes some other paradigms.

I Started at an XSS of 40.

Xert Training Load
After a couple of fits and starts, I began to work consistently on June 16th of 2021. I’m working on getting at least 75 points per day, 5 days per week, over 75 days. I started at 40 XSS Training Load.

This was my Xert Fitness Signature on Wednesday, June 16th:

  • My Xert Training Load was at 40.7 XSS.
  • Threshold Power was at 255 Watts.
  • Lower Threshold Power was at 192 Watts.
  • Peak Power was at 1111 Watts.
  • Hight Intensity Energy (HIE or more appropriately, Anaerobic Work Capacity), was at 25.0 KiloJoules.
Xert Fitness Signature June 16 2021
I think the scale on this chart could be improved, but here are the ‘baseline’ numbers for my Xert Fitness Signature.

Two Weeks Later, my XSS is at 50.

On June 27th, at the time of this writing, here are my most current numbers:

Xert XPMC June 27 2021
The Xert Training Load is now at 50.3 after 9 Rides over 13 days. At 75 XSS minimum per ride, according to the Xert Freshness Feedback, which I have decided NOT to use, I am digging a hole in my Form. 
  • My Xert Training Load is at 50.3 XSS.
  • Threshold Power isat 258 Watts.
  • Lower Threshold Power is now theoretically at 196 Watts.
  • Peak Power now reads 1108 Watts.
  • Hight Intensity Energy (HIE or more appropriately, Anaerobic Work Capacity), is essentially unchanged at 24.9 KiloJoules.
Xert Fitness Signature Sunday June 27 2021
Just because the values are essentially unchanged does NOT mean that I’m less fit. We’ll discuss this in a separate post…

Where is the 75 XSS Per Day Coming From, Energy Wise?

Xert Weekly Stats June 27 2021
I’ve highlighted a ton of the columns that are significant in measuring the energy breakdown in Xert. Pay attention to the “Suggested Focus” and “Total XSS”.

Here’s my four-week Weekly Stats breakdown. Specifically, note the growth in… Hours

  • Hours per Week.
  • XSS/Day.
  • Ramp Rate.
  • Weekly Focus (I’ll explain what I’m doing with this in a later post).
  • SUGGESTED FOCUS (NOTICE THE AVERAGE POWER! THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT IN A FUTURE POST!).
  • Polarity Ratio.
  • Training Load (see the above graph).
  • Lower Threshold Power (LTP) – Again – I’ll post about this specifically later…
  • and Total XSS.

Two weeks of 75 XSS per day for a minimum of 5 days per week, has led to a jump in overall volume, a jump in XSS per day, a healthy rise in Ramp Rate, and a 45% increase in Weekly XSS. I’ve been cycling BELOW my Lower Threshold Power, with ONE or TWO small exceptions.

What Does Xert’s Adaptive Training Advisor Say?

Xert Adaptive Training Advisor June 27 2021
75 XSS per Day for 5 Days out of 7 has put me at a slight Training Surplus. I’m not paying attention to the information on the left. Instead, I’m using the Xert Rainbow Dial on the Training Pacer to essentially stay within the ‘Brackets’ of Training and Resting.

Now remember – I’m NOT FOLLOWING the Xert Adaptive Training Advisor. I’m simply cycling for 75 XSS per day, over 75 days. Some days will be above that. Some days will be Well above that. I may do ONE DAY every few weeks to earn 25 points or thereabouts, when I perform a DFAA1 cardio test, which, again, is a discussion for another post.

But if you look at the chart above, I’m at my hours per week, my Polarity is 97:3 for Aerobic (lower) intensity, and the SUGGESTED FOCUS WATTAGE is at 277 watts.

The Scientists at Xert are NOT directly revealing their research. Therefore, it’s up to me to glean what I can from the structure they’re providing. I’ll explain that in the next post

CONCLUSION

75 XSS per day is yielding some subtle, but immediate results. I’ll break those down with two specific workouts, via metabolic data, next.

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75 XSS (Per Day), for 75 Days: A New Self-Challenge

75 Days of 75 XSS (Xert Strain Score) Points – Let’s See Where This Leads

75 XSS per day, roughly 5 days per week? Can I achieve this?

The Xert Strain Score (XSS) is a volume-measuring tool that looks at a cyclist’s time, wattage, energy expenditure, and overall fitness signature. The calculation is unknown, but for me, it roughly equates to 10 KiloJoules per point when cycling aerobically. In conjunction with XSS, a cyclist’s “FOCUS” and “POLARITY” are revealed on a per-ride basis. XSS also affects Training Load and Form. Focus tells a cyclist where their ‘concentration of benefits’ has resulted from the ride. Polarity is revealed in the color of FOCUS. It tells the cyclist whether their ride was “Pure”, “Polarized”, “Less Polarized”, and “Mixed”.

Why 75 XSS?

Garmin 1030 Xert Screen
My goal is to earn 75 XSS per day, roughly 5 days per week. Some days will be purely aerobic, using DFAa1 Heart Rate Metrics, while other days will be intensity based, and will probably be performed out on Singletrack.

I chose 75 XSS for several reasons.

First – 75 XSS follows my favorite mantra in fitness training: SMART.

  • Specific – It’s a value I can follow on the main screen of my Garmin 1030
  • Measurable – 75 XSS is the result of energy and time spent cycling.
  • Achievable – this is a big one; my time commitments have changed over the months and the entire Western US is under a severe drought. This requires that I ride earlier in the day, and spend less time on the mountain bike. 75 XSS also requires roughly 750 KiloJoules, which is less than 2 hours of time spent cycling. In short, I can ride and get home for other commitments.
  • Repeatable – 75 XSS is something I can achieve about 5 days per week and still not get too fatigued. My goal is to do this about 5 days per week.
  • Timely – It’s summer, the days are long, and this should lead to a higher level of chronic fitness without getting too stale.

Why 75 XSS in 75 days?

75 Days of XSS, roughly 5 days per week, would put me at roughly the end of August. I really have no goals. There might be some late-season bike rallies I would like to attend. Perhaps there are some Cols I would like to climb in the Fall for PR’s. Bike racing is picking up in the Northern Nevada area. However, after a successful Fall of 2020, and some solid prep work in January and February of 2021, I lost some fitness. This led to a drop from a high level of performance on the mountain bike and road bike. I also started gaining weight again. Thankfully, with the help of BT-Nutrition’s Reful App, I have again begun to lose weight, and my performance has turned a slight corner. A 75 day MesoCycle will give me time to ride at lower intensity out on the road bike, and higher intensity out on the mountain bike. On days that I am performing low-intensity rides, 75 days where I burn at least 60 grams of Fat, SHOULD yield some weight loss. My goal is to get back down to 67-68kg without losing power.

What’s my FOCUS?

My FOCUS for this effort is two-fold. First, I’m going to force myself to ride longer periods at lower intensities on a consistent basis. After lots of consulting with professionals and observation with my clients, we will all be implementing regular “DFAa1” slope tests to better determine a more accurate Lower Threshold of Aerobic Intensity. For me, this translates into efforts at a HEART RATE below 150 beats per minute. This also translates into a LONGER period of time out on the road or trail to achieve 75 XSS. 89% of my clients and myself are showing a wattage/HR value that is about 5-10% below Xert’s LTP. Less intensity means fewer KJ’s per minute and per hour, so it has to be made up with time.

Xert Adaptive Training Advisor Rainbow Dial
I like Xert’s Adaptive Training Advisor. I prefer the Rainbow Dial to the interval targets and workout goal. The Advisor does not account for other aspects of training and recovery. Instead of 193w, I’m making my endurance rides roughly 170 watts of intensity, and this correlates with the DFAa1 system of determing lower threshold. This is making my easier rides easier, and longer, with less strain (something rarely discussed in Xertworld.)

On my harder days, I’ll be performing intervals in the “Pursuiter” and “Puncheur” range of intensity (30-90sec efforts above 350w for me), so that my WEEKLY FOCUS will be in the “Rouleur” and “Breakaway Specialist” range of intensity. I will use the Rainbow Dial in Xert, but I’m not going to use the Suggested Workouts, which tend to favor blocks of workouts that don’t follow my plan for 75 XSS and don’t agree with my plan for intensities. I’ve followed this path before, but with 30 years of experience, I know my own body better.

TRAINING TOOLS

I’ll be including files or links to files for download for everyone to peruse. I’m going to use the Vo2master as much as possible, so that my gas exchange can be monitored and reviewed. I’ll be recording the Saturated Muscle Oxygen (SmO2) on my Left Lateralis, as well as my Total Hemoglobin Count. These are not shown on Xert, and will be analyzed separately. Finally, I’ll be performing regular DFAa1 ramp tests (probably every Monday), indoors, to then post on www.runalyze.com, for review on my lower intensity threshold.

The GOAL

The goal, with 75 XSS over 75 days, is to try and get back up to about 290-300 watts for my Functional Threshold Power, keep 25-30 High Intensity Energy KiloJoules, drop my body weight to 67-68kg, and learn about my body through the instruments I’m providing.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.  I hope the regular posts lead to better discussions about training, fitness, recovery, nutrition, hydration, and enjoying the experience of the ride.