My goal is to be 170 pounds by my birthday next weekend.
As of today, I'm 170.8. I've been pretty consistently losing 1.0 to 1.2 pounds a week, so I'm pretty confident that I can do it.
After that, I'm planning to slow down and just lose 5 more pounds by the end of March, putting me at 165. Given my love of nice round numbers, I might try to hit 164 just so that I can say that I lost 30 pounds from my start at 194 last August.
After three weeks back on the bike, my body is back in the rhythm again. I lost a little bit of power at VO2 max from the weird travel schedules through December, but I should be able to get that back pretty quickly.
The biggest problem I've had is getting substantial rides in. With it being very cold outside, I have not been riding outside at lunch. My lunch time rides tend to only be an hour, but they are usually pretty intense.
My rides on the trainer have been a little shorter due to very early or very late scheduled meetings, which have cut into my riding before and after work. I still get in 2-hour rides on the weekends, but my normal hour to hour and fifteen minute rides during the week have been cropped down to 45 minutes. With the drop in time, I'm not doing as many intervals.
Still, it's January. I don't expect to be at peak racing fitness for several more months.
My biggest worry right now is not getting sick. With the flu really tearing people apart this year, I really don't want to catch it!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Out of Whack
It's really amazing how much of an affect 9 days off the bike can have on you.
We got back on Sunday and I started riding again on Monday.
My endurance is really diminished. Just ten days earlier, I had ridden at 235 watts for 90 minutes. On Tuesday, I barely held 200 watts for 45 minutes. Before we left, I was doing 2 hour training rides both days of every weekend. On Saturday, I could barely stay on for 90 minutes.
My high end capacity is really painful. A couple of weeks ago, I was able to hold 350 watts for 5 minutes. On Wednesday, I could barely hold 300 watts for 2 minutes.
Of course, during all of this, my heart rate is running way above normal.
I know that by the end of next week, my body should be more or less back to normal, but it does not make this any less annoying.
On the plus side, my weight is below pre-Christmas levels. This morning I was 173.0.
We got back on Sunday and I started riding again on Monday.
My endurance is really diminished. Just ten days earlier, I had ridden at 235 watts for 90 minutes. On Tuesday, I barely held 200 watts for 45 minutes. Before we left, I was doing 2 hour training rides both days of every weekend. On Saturday, I could barely stay on for 90 minutes.
My high end capacity is really painful. A couple of weeks ago, I was able to hold 350 watts for 5 minutes. On Wednesday, I could barely hold 300 watts for 2 minutes.
Of course, during all of this, my heart rate is running way above normal.
I know that by the end of next week, my body should be more or less back to normal, but it does not make this any less annoying.
On the plus side, my weight is below pre-Christmas levels. This morning I was 173.0.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Break Time is Over
For the last 12 weeks, I've been gaining fitness and losing weight consistently, which I'm really happy about.
I'm really surprised that I was able to do so, given some of the craziness in my schedule. I was gone for a week in October for vacation, I was gone for a week in November for a conference for work, and I was gone for a week in December to see our families for Christmas.
Add in several days with meetings or rain preventing me from riding at lunch or late meetings that prevented me from riding at night, I had to make sure that my training schedule was as efficient as I could make it.
For the next 12 weeks, I don't have any trips planned. I have some of my bigger goals scheduled, though.
I came back from Christmas at 174.6 pounds. I expected to gain a pound or two, but I barely gained nay weight at all. I'm trying to figure out if I'm dehydrated or something. Despite doing nothing but sitting and eating for 8 days, I only gained 0.8 pounds. My body measurements were the same as they were when I left.
At any rate, I should be able to make my first goal of 170 pounds by my birthday on Jan 27. Once I make that, I will slow down the weight loss so that I can increase my training intensity, aiming for 165 pounds by March 30. Once I'm there, I plan to maintain that weight or maybe drift up to 168.
I plan to test my 20 minute power on February 2. My last test was 282 watts, the best I've ever done. If I can match that again, I'll be happy, but I'd really like to increase it to 285 watts.
My next test after that is March 30 (8 weeks later), when I want to hit 290 watts.
After that, it's racing season! I'm not 100% sure of what races I'll do, but some that I'm considering:
I'm really surprised that I was able to do so, given some of the craziness in my schedule. I was gone for a week in October for vacation, I was gone for a week in November for a conference for work, and I was gone for a week in December to see our families for Christmas.
Add in several days with meetings or rain preventing me from riding at lunch or late meetings that prevented me from riding at night, I had to make sure that my training schedule was as efficient as I could make it.
For the next 12 weeks, I don't have any trips planned. I have some of my bigger goals scheduled, though.
I came back from Christmas at 174.6 pounds. I expected to gain a pound or two, but I barely gained nay weight at all. I'm trying to figure out if I'm dehydrated or something. Despite doing nothing but sitting and eating for 8 days, I only gained 0.8 pounds. My body measurements were the same as they were when I left.
At any rate, I should be able to make my first goal of 170 pounds by my birthday on Jan 27. Once I make that, I will slow down the weight loss so that I can increase my training intensity, aiming for 165 pounds by March 30. Once I'm there, I plan to maintain that weight or maybe drift up to 168.
I plan to test my 20 minute power on February 2. My last test was 282 watts, the best I've ever done. If I can match that again, I'll be happy, but I'd really like to increase it to 285 watts.
My next test after that is March 30 (8 weeks later), when I want to hit 290 watts.
After that, it's racing season! I'm not 100% sure of what races I'll do, but some that I'm considering:
- C-130 Time trial (May, 20 miles, Dover, DE)
- PA State Time Trial (June)
- Church Creek Time Trials (June and August, 40K, Church Creek, MD)
- Lake Nockamixon Time Trial (July, 20K.... I don't have a good history with that race but I realy want to do well in it just once)
- Ernie Simpson (September, 20K, Pine Grove State Furnace, PA)
Saturday, December 15, 2012
On Track
The Vegas trip did not do too much damage to my weight loss progress. In 4 days of eating everything in sight and no cycling, I gained 1.2 pounds back. I was 176.2 the day I left and 177.4 the day I got back.
Considering how fast I lost it, I think a lot of that was retained water from eating french fries with most meals.
Two weeks later, I'm down to 175.2 and 18.2% body fat. I wanted to be 175 by Christmas, so I think I'm on track for that.
I totally expect that I'll gain some weight back over the Christmas holiday. If I can hit New Years at 174 to 175, I should be able to reach 170 by my birthday on January 27.
I'm starting to look at a stopping point now. Once I get to February and March, I will be starting more intense training for racing season, so I will need to slow down my weight loss a bit from 1 pound per week to maybe a half pound per week. If I can get down to 165, I think I can call that a good stopping point.
If I get down to that weight, I'll be thrilled. Between losing weight and reaching new power records, I should be faster than ever by spring.
Considering how fast I lost it, I think a lot of that was retained water from eating french fries with most meals.
Two weeks later, I'm down to 175.2 and 18.2% body fat. I wanted to be 175 by Christmas, so I think I'm on track for that.
I totally expect that I'll gain some weight back over the Christmas holiday. If I can hit New Years at 174 to 175, I should be able to reach 170 by my birthday on January 27.
I'm starting to look at a stopping point now. Once I get to February and March, I will be starting more intense training for racing season, so I will need to slow down my weight loss a bit from 1 pound per week to maybe a half pound per week. If I can get down to 165, I think I can call that a good stopping point.
If I get down to that weight, I'll be thrilled. Between losing weight and reaching new power records, I should be faster than ever by spring.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Break time
It's conference time! I pretty much won't get to train this week.
I'll be in Vegas, staying at a hotel that charges $20 for every time you want to use the gym. I'll be 3 hours off from my normal sleeping pattern, so I expect to be a bit of a mess. Perfect for a rest/recovery week from the bike.
At once point, I made the comment here that my weight could be "as low as" 177 by this time. As of this morning, I'm 176.2. I'm very happy about that. That's a loss of 17.8 pounds since July.
Fatigue-wise, I'm really ready for the break. The last few days, I could feel all the accumulated stress in my legs from riding pretty intensely for the last 6 weeks since vacation. I got a little bit of a break the week of the hurricane, but not much. My legs really need this.
I'm hoping not to gain too much weight back this week. I put it on the training plan as 1.4 pounds. I know, it's a lot, but I figured I'd plan for the worst.
Keeping in mind that I'll be off training for 10 days around Christmas and will probably gain weight then, I'm still looking at being at 170 by my birthday. After that, I'll slow down the loss and focus more on being race-fit (165 or so) for the races in April.
I'll be in Vegas, staying at a hotel that charges $20 for every time you want to use the gym. I'll be 3 hours off from my normal sleeping pattern, so I expect to be a bit of a mess. Perfect for a rest/recovery week from the bike.
At once point, I made the comment here that my weight could be "as low as" 177 by this time. As of this morning, I'm 176.2. I'm very happy about that. That's a loss of 17.8 pounds since July.
Fatigue-wise, I'm really ready for the break. The last few days, I could feel all the accumulated stress in my legs from riding pretty intensely for the last 6 weeks since vacation. I got a little bit of a break the week of the hurricane, but not much. My legs really need this.
I'm hoping not to gain too much weight back this week. I put it on the training plan as 1.4 pounds. I know, it's a lot, but I figured I'd plan for the worst.
Keeping in mind that I'll be off training for 10 days around Christmas and will probably gain weight then, I'm still looking at being at 170 by my birthday. After that, I'll slow down the loss and focus more on being race-fit (165 or so) for the races in April.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Defining My Best
My recent record-breaking rides have me wondering: how do I define "the best shape ever"?
Going by weight, I'm not even close. I'm at 178 pounds and 19.4% body fat right now. My best there was 161 pounds and 13%.
Going by sprint power, that was 1300 watts for 5 seconds. I'm barely hitting 1100 these days (though I sprint maybe once every 2 weeks in the winter).
Beyond that, the numbers have gotten more interesting.
Below are a few numbers: The best I had ever done until July 2012 (when I started my current training program, which is focused on FTP and VO2 intensities) and the test numbers from the last
week:
So... am I in the best shape of my life? Maybe.
If nothing else, I can definitely say that my new training program is working very well.
PS: That might be the last table I ever post. That was a major pain in the ass to get it to format right!
Going by weight, I'm not even close. I'm at 178 pounds and 19.4% body fat right now. My best there was 161 pounds and 13%.
Going by sprint power, that was 1300 watts for 5 seconds. I'm barely hitting 1100 these days (though I sprint maybe once every 2 weeks in the winter).
Beyond that, the numbers have gotten more interesting.
Below are a few numbers: The best I had ever done until July 2012 (when I started my current training program, which is focused on FTP and VO2 intensities) and the test numbers from the last
week:
| Pre-July 2012 | Nov 2012 | Wattage | Percent | |
| Best 5:00 | 320 watts | 341 watts | 21 watts | 6.6% |
| Best 8:00 | 295 watts | 324 watts | 29 watts | 9.8% |
| Best 20:00 | 268 watts | 282 watts | 14 watts | 5.2% |
So... am I in the best shape of my life? Maybe.
If nothing else, I can definitely say that my new training program is working very well.
PS: That might be the last table I ever post. That was a major pain in the ass to get it to format right!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
On the Podium
It's no secret that I'm a bit competitive. Recently, I took part in a different kind of competition.
I was in a weight loss competition.
My office had a weight loss competition in which 24 people participated. Each one of us paid $10 and the money was paid out to the three people who lost the highest percentage of their body weight over a 10 week period.
Of course, some people stayed the same. Some people gained weight. Some people lost a whole bunch in the first few weeks. Others did not officially weigh in, so no one knew how they were doing.
I was doing the slow-and-steady loss (with a slight slip for vacation).
In the end, I lost 5.6% of my body weight, or about 10 1/2 pounds. That was enough to finish in 3rd place. The winner lost 9.6% of her body weight and the second place person lost 7.6%. When it started, I figured I was planning to lose the weight anyway, so why not see if I could make some money doing it? It worked (for a princely sum of $48).
As of today, I'm 178.6 and 19.2% body fat. I had mentioned before that I could make it to 177 before I go to the conference in two weeks, and now I think it's almost a certainty.
How low can I go? I don't know. Since I'm sticking to the 12-week at a time strategy, it's hard to say.
I'd like to be 170 for my 39th birthday at the end of January. I might even like to be in the lower 160's by racing season. If I could stay in the 168 to 172 range, which I have often fondly referred to as my "skating weight", I'd be really happy. Even better, if I could stay at that weight for a full year until I turn 40, then I would have built the habits to stay at that weight.
I can't imagine a better 40th birthday present to myself than being really fit when I turn 40.
PS: I also set two new personal best power numbers:
Best 5:00 329 watts
Best 10:00 306 watts
I was in a weight loss competition.
My office had a weight loss competition in which 24 people participated. Each one of us paid $10 and the money was paid out to the three people who lost the highest percentage of their body weight over a 10 week period.
Of course, some people stayed the same. Some people gained weight. Some people lost a whole bunch in the first few weeks. Others did not officially weigh in, so no one knew how they were doing.
I was doing the slow-and-steady loss (with a slight slip for vacation).
In the end, I lost 5.6% of my body weight, or about 10 1/2 pounds. That was enough to finish in 3rd place. The winner lost 9.6% of her body weight and the second place person lost 7.6%. When it started, I figured I was planning to lose the weight anyway, so why not see if I could make some money doing it? It worked (for a princely sum of $48).
As of today, I'm 178.6 and 19.2% body fat. I had mentioned before that I could make it to 177 before I go to the conference in two weeks, and now I think it's almost a certainty.
How low can I go? I don't know. Since I'm sticking to the 12-week at a time strategy, it's hard to say.
I'd like to be 170 for my 39th birthday at the end of January. I might even like to be in the lower 160's by racing season. If I could stay in the 168 to 172 range, which I have often fondly referred to as my "skating weight", I'd be really happy. Even better, if I could stay at that weight for a full year until I turn 40, then I would have built the habits to stay at that weight.
I can't imagine a better 40th birthday present to myself than being really fit when I turn 40.
PS: I also set two new personal best power numbers:
Best 5:00 329 watts
Best 10:00 306 watts
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Forced Recovery
This week's training plan didn't exactly work out.
Monday is normally my day off. Tuesday we didn't have power due to the hurricane. Late Tuesday, I started coughing.
Wednesday I was still coughing. I tried to get a workout that morning and my heart rate was running VERY high.
Thursday and Friday I took off from the bike and from work. I felt terrible.
Saturday, I got on the trainer and felt a little better. I still kept it relatively easy. Today I did a little more normal Sunday workout, which is to say still pretty easy but for two hours.
So, I pretty much did a recovery week when I had not planned on it. As a consequence, I'll do the planned workouts from last week this week instead.
Surprisingly, I lost a good bit of weight this week. As of this morning, I'm 179.8 pounds and 20.3% body fat. Even though I was sick and barely training, I kept a close eye on what I ate and it still worked out pretty well.
Monday is normally my day off. Tuesday we didn't have power due to the hurricane. Late Tuesday, I started coughing.
Wednesday I was still coughing. I tried to get a workout that morning and my heart rate was running VERY high.
Thursday and Friday I took off from the bike and from work. I felt terrible.
Saturday, I got on the trainer and felt a little better. I still kept it relatively easy. Today I did a little more normal Sunday workout, which is to say still pretty easy but for two hours.
So, I pretty much did a recovery week when I had not planned on it. As a consequence, I'll do the planned workouts from last week this week instead.
Surprisingly, I lost a good bit of weight this week. As of this morning, I'm 179.8 pounds and 20.3% body fat. Even though I was sick and barely training, I kept a close eye on what I ate and it still worked out pretty well.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
On Track New School
My weight loss project is very much on track. When I left for vacation, I was at 183. When I got back two weeks ago, I was at 184.6. Today I am at 182 pounds (and 20.3% body fat).
At the rate I'm going, I could be as low as 177 before I go to the conference at the end of November.
I'm also trying something new in my training program. For ages, cyclists have spent this time of year doing "base" training, just riding long miles at an easy pace. I'm taking a new approach advocated by cycling coach Hunter Allen. I'm doing VO2 max training, which is far from easy.
The theory is that functional threshold power (FTP) is a percentage of VO2 power. If I can raise my VO2 power, then I can also increase my FTP.
The workouts go something like this:
I also like that in a single 8-minute interval, I can burn 160 calories (plus more in the recovery, warmup, and cool down).
It's kind of an experiment to see how things go. Hopefully it will go well.
At the rate I'm going, I could be as low as 177 before I go to the conference at the end of November.
I'm also trying something new in my training program. For ages, cyclists have spent this time of year doing "base" training, just riding long miles at an easy pace. I'm taking a new approach advocated by cycling coach Hunter Allen. I'm doing VO2 max training, which is far from easy.
The theory is that functional threshold power (FTP) is a percentage of VO2 power. If I can raise my VO2 power, then I can also increase my FTP.
The workouts go something like this:
- 8 minute intervals at the highest pace that I can sustain for the entire time
- I use 90% of my 8-minute best. My 8-minute best power is 311 watts, so I'm aiming for around 280 to 290 watts.
- 7 minutes easy pedaling (which gives me a nice 15-minute block)
- repeat until I cannot maintain the power anymore
I also like that in a single 8-minute interval, I can burn 160 calories (plus more in the recovery, warmup, and cool down).
It's kind of an experiment to see how things go. Hopefully it will go well.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
The Next Six
Now that I'm back from vacation, I have six weeks before I have a week-long conference for work.
I'm starting off the new season a couple pounds heavier since I are pretty much everything in sight while I was in Rhode Island, and there were two fudge shops and a cupcake store within a few blocks of the hotel.
My goals for the next six weeks are pretty simple:
The bigger challenge will probably be the training. As it gets colder out, I struggle more with getting out of bed when it's cold in the apartment and completely dark out and with riding outside when it's colder. I did pretty well last fall, so I'm hoping I can do it again this year.
I'm starting off the new season a couple pounds heavier since I are pretty much everything in sight while I was in Rhode Island, and there were two fudge shops and a cupcake store within a few blocks of the hotel.
My goals for the next six weeks are pretty simple:
- Lose six more pounds. That should put me at 179 pounds before I leave for the conference.
- Keep my functional threshold power up. I'm at 250 watts right now and I don't want to lose any of it.
The bigger challenge will probably be the training. As it gets colder out, I struggle more with getting out of bed when it's cold in the apartment and completely dark out and with riding outside when it's colder. I did pretty well last fall, so I'm hoping I can do it again this year.
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