http://www.glasgownightingalecc.org.uk/forum/YaBB.pl
I was pleasantly surprised when one of our club members, Colin Bark, got in touch with me via the forum to say that he is training to be a cycle coach and that he would be happy to help me out. This was real music to my ears as I am always glad to get some direction in my training. Having someone knowledgeable advising me will be an invaluable training tool.
We arranged for me to go and see Colin at his home, where I would undergo a fitness assessment. I wasn't really sure what to expect but he assured me it wouldn't be too horrible and that it would help him devise a training plan for me. He asked me to bring my bike, kit, a drink and my training diary (since I began this project, I have been keeping a very brief diary. Each day I take a note of my training, my diet, my health/ well being and any remarkable events that have happened. I jot this down in a paper diary - very unscientific)
*One other thing that Colin had asked me to do was to take my resting pulse rate. This is the number of heart beats per minute when you are at your most relaxed. This gives an indication of your fitness level and also can highlight imminent ill health if monitored regularly. The measurement is usually done on waking prior to any exertion (ideally even before you sit or stand). The most accurate way to measure your heart rate is using a pulse monitor, similar to the one I wear when training. Unfortunately, this is not really practical in our household where waking up is usually the result of a screaming one year old demanding attention! I settled for finding my pulse on my wrist and counting the beats per minute (bpm) using my clock radio! Not very scientific I know, but useful all the same. I have taken the measurement a few times and my resting HR is 43bpm. Not Miguel Indurain class (former 5 time Tour de France winner and famed for a resting HR of 30 or less!) or Lance Armstrong (allegedly mid-30's and with a larger heart capacity than us mortals) but not bad, especially for the West of Scotland!
I have had various fitness tests during my hockey career (bleep test, body fat, strength, flexibility etc) but I was interested to see what a cycling specific test would show. When I arrived at Colin's flat he welcomed me in and showed me the instrument that would be responsible for my upcoming torture. He has a Tacx I-Magic, which is similar to my own home trainer but with a couple of crucial differences...A turbo trainer has a small fly-wheel at the back, which comes into contact with the rear wheel of the bike and provides the pedalling resistance. Usually the amount of resistance is governed by the weight of the fly-wheel and the method of action of the trainer (e.g. magnets, fluid, friction etc). However, in the case of the I-Magic, there is a mechanical brake fitted to the fly-wheel. This allows much greater resistance to be generated allowing the user to simulate uphill or sprint riding. This is all controlled by the systems software. Which leads me on to the second crucial difference, the fact that it is linked to computer software. This allows the user to ride "virtual" races and/ or (as in my case) track their performance and power output. The user can view all of this on the computer screen whilst riding.
Colin attached a couple of sensors to my bike and asked me to put on a chest strap that monitors heart rate. My bike was fitted (minus front wheel) into the I-Magic and I climbed on...
We began with a gentle warm up to allow me to get used to the system. I am obviously used to riding my own trainer, so it was a bit odd riding a different one. The changeable resistance came as a bit of a surprise. One minute I was pedalling along quite happily, the next I was grinding up a hill! It was quite entertaining watching myself speeding through the "virtual" streets and having the crowd cheering me on. Unfortunately, this frivolity didn't last long and soon I had to get down to some real work...
The main bulk of the test was to concentrate on finding my power output. This is to try and find what level of power I can put through the pedals and what my perceived effort is whilst doing so. This is done using a ramp test. Simply put, the system gradually increases the amount of friction generated by the fly-wheel. In doing so, the rider has to use increasing force to keep pedalling. This will cause a related increase in heart rate and perceived effort (perceived effort is a figure given by the rider ranging from 1-20, to correspond to their effort. 1 is easy, 20 is agony).
At the beginning, the pedalling is laughably easy. The only difficulty is trying to pedal slowly enough. Gradually this changes are you find that you are pedalling at your preferred cadence (mine is around 90 revs per minute). The I-magic changes the degree of effort every 30 secs to a minute (I cannot remember which now, sorry). As you pedal, you can see on the screen in front of you the power level you are at. At first, I was managing pretty well. I could still breath and talk to Colin. Gradually it began to get harder. Conversation became less. The beads of sweat began to run down my face and drip onto the floor. On the screen, my power went through the 100's into the 200's and up. I was starting to struggle now and had to change to a higher gear to maintain the required power. I had set a figure of 400 in my head before I started (where it came from, who knows? some crappy cycling novel I read in the dim past probably...). I was still thinking that it was achievable. I was working hard but was now in the 300's. 300 watts came and went. 320 and I was still going. Then, all of a sudden, I was done. As if flicking a switch, I went from okay to toast in a matter of seconds. I managed to 340 watts and that was it. I remember from previous tests that this is not uncommon. Great one minute, done the next. I was knackered but had that nagging feeling that maybe I could have done more? I guess you always feel like this once the actual moment of agony is gone.
I understand from coach Colin that one of the key factors in deciding a training plan is knowing where your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are. This is the point where the effort becomes too much for the body to handle in the usual manner and it changes the way in which energy is produced. This leads to the production of Lactic Acid. Athletes will sometimes refer to this as the "red line" and talk about keeping themselves within their limits whilst training and racing. Hopefully, Colin will be able to analyse the results from my test and let me know where my threshold lies. I am particularly interested to know what heart rate I should try and maintain during the Etape ride. I imagine it would be easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment and go too hard, too soon. This could lead to a disastrous capitulation towards the end of the ride.
After the power test, it took a few minutes of easy paced spinning to recover. One great thing about years of hockey training is that you become use to recovering from exertion. The lovely metallic taste in the back of the throat and the gasping for air, aaah the memories. Anyway, in a few minutes I was able to speak again, although I was now a lot sweatier than when I started.
Next was a sprint test, where I would have to go flat out for 20 seconds. Great. I have always been at my best when not having to sustain performance for more than 30 seconds (no jokes about the bedroom please). As a youngster I was always a sprinter, as opposed to a distance athlete and as a hockey player I would usually back myself in a short sprint for the ball. Colin set it all up and off I went. Eyeballs out. I kept thinking of what Chris Hoy repeats in the book "Heroes, Villains and Velodromes" by Richard Moore (very good read by the way). He constantly refers to "not leaving anything in the tank" and "get it all out onto the track". So I pedalled furiously, head down trying to get the most out of my knackered, old legs. I intended to go all out and only stop to look up once I had heard the beep of the program finishing...but it seemed to go on forever! Finally I looked up at the screen and managed to flop over the line, doing my best to keep the pace up over the last five seconds.
More recovery required and Colin had a look at the numbers. He quickly came to the conclusion that I expected. I am an ideal fit for a cyclist....as long as no one wants me to go further than 200m! Apparently I have a near elite level sprint capacity but unfortunately not the endurance to go with it. I need to try the track...
In summary, I found the session really enjoyable and very motivating. I look forward to working on the results with Colin as I progress nearer the event. It was really pleasing to find that my fitness is not too horrendous, although there is still much to do. It was also really nice to be told that I was actually quite good at something to do with cycling, even if it is of little use in this current quest! A boost to the confidence is always good.
Lastly, may I take the chance to thank Colin and his lovely fiance for taking time out of their evening to help me. It is generosity like this that really makes amateur sports clubs, such as Glasgow Nightingale, enjoyable and worthwhile. Chapeau!
Take care and happy riding,
Col.
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