Online Bike Coach

Where Cyclists and Triathletes get Faster/Stronger/Leaner/Sooner

2023: New Home, New Goals, New Services, New Discussions

New Home: Sacramento, California, USA!

New OBC Headquarters
New OBC Headquarters – complete with Wild Turkey!

Hey everyone, I can’t believe that I’ve landed and set up shop in our new home here in Sacramento, California. Honestly, I haven’t been a Californian since 1974, so this is definitely going to be a new experience.

Online Bike Coach has been a stalwart pillar of coaching and information since its’ inception in 2003. I’ve been coaching cyclists since 1993, so this is my 30th Anniversary as a Cycling Coach! While we’ve learned, taught, and experienced many things, it’s time to reset the foundations and make the NEXT 15 years even stronger.

New Goals

New OBC Logo White PCThe Goals for Online Bike Coach going forward are simple: Offering cycling-based training classes and programs for fitness, health, longevity and performance. To do this, I am going to migrate what was a successful 15 years of In-Studio training, over to online Group Classes, via www.vqvelocity.com. Online Bike Coach will offer LIVE and RECORDED classes, multiple days of the week, with different goals and agendas. We’ll work on the FUNDAMENTALS; Aerobic Fitness, Anaerobic Work Capacity, Stamina, Strength, and Speed. You can take as many classes as you wish, pop in here and there for a quickie, or replay any one of the rides in the library as it grows. Classes will be held in the Pacific Time Zone, but I’ll be posting hours that fit client needs across the four major time zones in the US, and will consider time zones in Europe and Australia as well if there is demand.

Traditional Coaching will also continue, but I’ll be increasing the hybrid approach of using the most recent cardio-vascular technology and assessment information via Garmin head units and wristwatches for Aerobic Conditioning. For those who subscribe to the ‘Polarized Training’ approach (and I use both Polarized and SweetSpot methods, depending on each rider’s needs or time availability), the latest ‘Stamina‘ Feature from Garmin, and other metrics for supra-threshold and vo2 that I’ve reviewed and used before.

We want time-tested, scientifically validated metrics, but I still fear that most producers are not interested in advancing known science, but are instead focused on profit. I refuse to be a Tent Preacher, and will emphasize known, published science where I can. Where I cannot, I’ll do the scientific studies using my own instruments, and will publish the results here and elsewhere if I can.

New Discussions

The New Discussions are not necessarily new, but they’re worth a refresh in this blog, on YouTube, and in the general public domain. I intend to blog regularly about the following:

New Hand Signals

  • Cyclist Safety. Cycling is a safe sport. Reat that ad infinitum. CYCLING IS A SAFE SPORT. There are ways you can ride and present yourself in urban and rural settings that will increase your safety, confidence, and competence when out on the road. There’s also technology that can improve your awareness and visibility. Beyond a few one-and-done videos, I intend to produce blogs and videos that show long-term work on these concepts, products and methods. For me, it’s the only way to save the sport from being an indoor-only, virtual-ride product.
  • Training With Technology. I’ve always been a fan of Science and Technology, and cycling is the perfect meld of physics, physiology, and electronic tools of observation and analysis. But there seems to be an information overload, a plethora of features, and not much explanation or distillation of the information provided. I intend to change that, with more regular posts.
  • Garmin Connect Features. Garmin Connect is the data-collection site for so many of the metrics I have mentioned above. However, I’ve searched high and low on the internet to try and find a coach who actually uses these metrics on a regular basis, to COACH an athlete. I also see the semi-artificial intelligence programs found in Garmin Connect, and I wonder about their effectiveness. Some posts on Reddit have been all I’ve seen. The results seem to be all over the place. It makes me wonder if there might not be a better way to look at the metrics provided, and then use that information to better judge and guide fitness training. We’ll see.

I have been coaching now for thirty years; a lot has changed. A lot has not. One historian of cycling said that in the history of humanity, cycling is arguably the only activity that EVOLVED into Recreation, then Utility. It spawned the Tire Industry (Dunlop), which further altered civilization. I think we need to reconnect the social benefits of cycling with 21st century mobility and mental health.

https://youtu.be/ZYwhvD2-fYw

CONCLUSION

The Cycling world has gone ‘U’ shaped; we’ve got people in a really poor demographic using bicycles for utility, and we’ve got really rich people using bicycles for recreation. The Middle Class and cycling have largely disappeared. For example, how many of you readers rode your bikes to school? How many of you have children that ride their bikes to school? How many of you have grandchildren that ride their bikes to school? It’s a vexing question, and I’d like to look into the perceived problems and factual solutions.

That’s really about it for now. I’m going to get on with the day, and I’ll start posting more work, more regularly, going forward. I know I’ve promised that before, but I have the venue, the time, and the desire to pursue this.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE.

Physiological Baselines for “Base”.

On Christmas Day, I performed a 60-minute workout on PerfPro Studio. I also recorded the data on Vo2master software. The goal was two-fold. I wanted to perform a ramp test, to try and determine Physiological baselines, specifically Heart Rate at DFAA-1 0.75 and 0.500. I also wanted to see if I could determine Ventilatory Threshold 1 and Ventilatory Threshold 2. Finally, I wanted to determine whether I could 'See' deflection points via SmO2. With this information, I can work on adaptation to higher loads of power and traditional heart rate.
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Fat Burning, and DFAA-1, an Introduction

The metabolic fat-burning zone is not a new phenomenon. It can be found through a Vo2 apparatus that measures changes in Ventilatory Threshold. It can also be found through regular and invasive pricks with a Lactate Tester. The goal is to find the intensity where a cyclist's Ventilatory Threshold changes; in other words, where their breathing frequency rises. A similar deflection can be found when using Lactate Testers; we are trying to find the intensity where the body begins to accumulate Lactate from a point where it can be processed back into....
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75 XSS For 75 Days – Six Weeks In

75 XSS As a Minimum Volume for a Ride Is Showing Some Results

When you train for an XSS minimum, it’s hard to keep Strain below 150KkJ. It’s also hard to keep total kJ’s below 750.

Achieving 75 XSS (Xert Strain Score) points for every ride is leading to some interesting results. While I thought I was being consistent, it’s been a challenge. Most weeks have gone in a “4 rides”, one day off, 3 rides, one day off” approach. Several of my rides have broken the 75 point ‘Floor’, and for a few days in July, I was really on top of my game, despite my signature not moving much at all.

75 XSS as a Training Load

On July 4th, Training Load was right at 52.1 XSS. By July 21st, it had reached 62.1 XSS. The emphasis on 75 XSS rides that are low intensity, aerobic rides, following DFAA1 values, has helped with consistency, along with helping my mental health. I felt more “Fresh” for most rides, and I also used a consistent route to achieve my volume goals.

Looking at the Training Load value from the beginning of my quest, June 20th, I gained at least 18 points.

Xert 75 XSS Training Load June 20 July 23 2021
Notice the pattern – I attempted to ride either ‘4 on, 1 off’, or ‘5 on, 1 off’, or 3 on, 1 off’.

75 XSS as a floor led to a ramp rate that was healthy and modest for almost a month.

Xert Weekly Stats July 2021
75 XSS per week led to a ramp rate that was green, which means modest and safe.

Total XSS was above 450 for each week, and for the first half of July, Polarity Ratio was highly aerobic. I truly did enjoy the 10 hours or more per week. In other words, 75 XSS per Day was working, even though my fitness signature remained fairly static.

I DID achieve a decent breakthrough near the end of July, and I believe I was on track for more gains. Hower….

ONE BIG CAVEAT

The Tamarack Fire required almost 3 weeks to control.

On July 4th, 2021, a fire caused by lightning started in the forest south of Reno and Carson City, Nevada. It was later named the “Tamarack” Fire.

That same day, a fire began just north of Reno, and it was named the “Beckwourth Complex“.

On July 13th, the “Dixie” fire started after a tree felled a power line, also in Northern California.

The Fires have completely ruined the air in and around the “Great Basin” of Northern Nevada.

The air quality where I live has made cycling outdoors impossible and cycling indoors incredibly difficult.

Beginning July 22nd, the air became unhealthy, and it has largely stayed like that. To date, I have cycled just five times, and those were on ‘medium hazard’ days.

As a result, I am forced to halt my effort for my goal; 75 XSS in 75 Days. It’s really heartbreaking to see the air so thick, and to read about homes and lives destroyed by these fires. Most have been only slightly contained as winds and weather continue to challenge the firefighters. Several areas where I ride have been decimated by fire. We have purchased an air purifier for the workout room, but it has not yet arrived.

CONCLUSION  – 75 XSS, While Arbitrary, Does Lead to a Good Training Load.

I began this effort of 75 XSS for 75 Days to try and determine whether volume alone can improve fitness and wellbeing. Some of that is obvious. I lost weight, raised my DFAA1 based LTP, and slept slightly better. I do believe I was on my way to greater capacity on my Xert Fitness Signature. There was one day, a group ride, where my cycling reminded me of rides from the early 2010’s, when I was younger and stronger. The other riders had a hard time keeping up, and expressed themselves accordingly. It was a tough crowd.

I may try this again if and when the air clears out. It will also be cooler. 75 XSS at a lower fitness signature is easier to achieve than 75 XSS at a higher signature, of course. But I still have goals, and I realize that 75 XSS fits within my time allotment and family and client demands.

Whatever your time availability is, set an XSS goal per day and per week, and ride towards that goal. You’ll be surprised by the fitness that comes from such consistency.

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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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