Looking For Ways to Improve REM and DEEP Sleep

Garmin Sleep Score

I Made my Eight-Hour Goal Last Night, But I Know I can Do Better Yesterday’s ride was refreshing. I may try to get outside again today, but the clock is conspiring against me. Last night, I kept my alcohol consumption down to one glass of wine. I also had a nightcap of 12oz of milk. […]

Sometimes Ya Gotta Get Some SUN!

Using Moxy, Vo2Master, Wattage and Performance Condition to assess a ride.

I Went Mountain Biking – And I Trapped ALL of the Data! The purpose of this exercise and series of blogs is to share my thought processes, as a coach, on how to interpret data from instruments. With that data, I can then make more informed decisions on my own training, recovery, and performance. When […]

I Still Can’t Figure Out Sleep

Can't Figure Out Sleep

Trying to Decipher the Roots of Insomnia Stress is a major factor in a restless night’s sleep. I have a tax bill and a car payment coming through in the next few days. Maybe that’s my issue. My Brother-In-Law has moved in with us; I have experienced homelessness and we welcomed him and his dog […]

Deciphering Sleep

This video looks at Garmin Connect and Sleep Score to assess how restlessness affects sleep quality.

I AM Sleeping Slightly Better – Will It Translate Into a Better Ride? After taking a day off, and focusing on clients, I’m ready to hop back on with my pre-season BASE training. My weight is down about a kilogram, but interruptions in home life continue to leave me challenged with good, high quality sleep. […]

The Heart KNOWS Best.

It's really critical to get a good night's rest before assuming a good day's ride. Garmin Connect Sleep Score can help me predict good watts and heart rate with a good DFAA-1.

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 […]

Base Ride Number 2 – Pre-Brief

Garmin Sleep Score is a result of good weight management, lower intensity, and recovery.

Ya Gotta SLEEP in order to PERFORM! 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 […]

Let’s Start With An Assessment!

I use a Vo2master gas analyzer, a moxy monitor, a wattage meter, an advanced heart rate monitor, and the shockwiz measurement system.

What Is My Current Fitness? Stress is a horrible psychological state. It’s also chemical, and physical. Strain is the actual, physical manifestation of Stress. Think about it this way; Stress is your body, mind, and heart, looking at a hill, and saying… “I have to go climb THAT?!” And Strain is the actual GRIND as […]

75 XSS for 75 Days – 3 Weeks In.

75 XSS Xert Progression Chart

75 XSS Is Bringing me VOLUME, But What Else Am I Accomplishing? ***** 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. ******* XSS (Xert Strain Score) is a metric that looks at the time you spend riding, the energy […]

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 […]

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 […]