Posts by behanna

I might just have a new goal (Ouachita Challenge).  My son and I went motorcycling in that area this past June, and stopped twice at the store in Pencil Bluff for meals (good food, neat place where everybody knows everybody--shouldn't be too hard in Pencil Bluff!).

I haven't posted here in awhile.  I'm still around the same weight as last year (5'8", 170#), and haven't been riding much, as I did something to my left knee in last year's Tour das Hügel (115 miles of the worst hills in NW Austin, all in one day, the last of them being a half-mile, steady 15% grade that topped out at mile 98, then 17 miles of rollers back to the start line to get to the car), and it still has not healed.  I keep meaning to do the PT exercises I learned after I had my right knee scoped, so as to try to avoid going under the knife again (I don't have access to Freddie Fu down here like I did in Pittsburgh).  When I do the exercises, the knee improves, so I'm hoping it just a persistent case of tendonitis mixed with patellofemoral syndrome.  I just have to make the PT a priority.

I ride a 2010 Specialized Allez Elite Compact on the road, with the rear cluster changed out from the 105 12-25 to an Ultegra 11-27, which gives me enough range to get up the worst grades (we have one hill in the area that touches 27% in a hairpin), and an '04 Specialized Hard Rock Pro Disc for the dirt (hardtail frame, suspension fork, disc brakes).  I don't get out on it nearly often enough (at all, lately).  Alas, the fork has no lockout, so I end up climbing in the saddle (harder on the knees).

Original Post by trhawley:

Estimating 1000 calories an hour on a bicycle for an very intense effort is normal.  I typically burn about 800 an hour riding when going at a moderate pace.

I don't think you do.  At 800 calories/hr, you will see god.  At 1000 calories/hr, you will see all of the archangels, too.

I find that 600 calories/hr is the threshold where I start to call it a very hard ride.  That's *averaging* 175 Watts (almost 0.25hp) for the entire ride.

To burn 800 calories/hr, you need to average 233 Watts for the entire hour.  If that's a "moderate pace" for you, then you probably race bicycles for a living.  For mere mortals (even club racers), that's a really damned hard effort.

To burn 1000 calories/hr, you need to average 291 Watts for the entire hour.  That's about what's required to complete a 40km time trial in under an hour, "Merckx Style" (i.e., on a regular road bike, without aero bars, aero helmet, or skinsuit).

I suspect that whatever you're using to measure your output is somewhat optimistic.

In addition to the suggestions you've received here, there's a section in The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook that discusses calf cramping.  If you're properly hydrated, you're adapted to the workload (another cause of cramping is working the muscles much harder than they're used to for much longer than they're used to), properly fueled, stretching, etc., then one common remaining cause is trigger points in the calf muscles.

For me, at least, brief trigger point massage in the belly of each of the calf muscles when I feel like I might cramp provides instant relief, though it often has to be repeated throughout a long ride.  The trigger points in question are higher up, near the knee, at the muscles' biggest parts. to the inside of the calf, it's pretty easy to find while rubbing around.  To the outside of the calf, it's pretty deep, but you'll find it (and you'll know it!).  Limit massage to 10-12 strokes at a time, then give it a rest, and repeat a couple of times per day.

If you're doing it right, it really hurts, but it does cause the knot to loosen up.  Don't try it when you're actively cramping--only do it while you're not cramped.

Original Post by spooner077:

Hey all, 

I'm new to the site and still checking everything out. Looks good so far! Anyway I'm wondering about the major discrepancy I'm seeing between the site and my exercise bike regarding calories burned. I typically hit my stationary bike twice a day for 60 minutes while maintaining 16mph on a low resistance. According to my bike, I burn 300 calories per session, but according to the site, I'm burning closer to 900 calories per session. Now, I realize that my bike doesn't take into account my gender, weight, etc, but that still seems to be a huge difference. Can anyone offer any thoughts on which one is more accurate? Thanks!

The bike is.  For one thing, you're stationary, not fighting wind resistance.  For another, the bicycling calories burned on this website are suited for riding a hybrid or a mountain bike.  For a road bike, they are FAR too optimistic.

Bike fit is also important.  On a road bike, anyway, the weight should be more-or-less evenly divided between handlebars, saddle, and pedals (the action of pushing down on the pedals relieves pressure from the saddle).

"Comfort" bikes are the absolute worst--they have you upright, so that nearly all of your weight is on your butt, and the "comfort" saddles press on all the wrong spots, because they are TOO soft, so you sink into them instead of having them support you properly on your sit bones (the ischial tuberosities at the base of your pelvis).

I can't ride for more than 20 minutes on a "comfort" bike wth a "comfort" saddle--they grow fangs.

I can ride for six hours on my road bike with its minimalist/cutout saddle (Specialized Rival, 143mm).

A big part of it is just standing up every now and again, to let the blood flow.

A lot of women walk around with "lazy abs," too (relaxed lower abs -> swayback -> rear end sticks out more -> lower abdomen sways forward), and that accentuates the bump.  Tighten up your abs (no, don't "suck in your gut," just think about holding good posture), tuck your hips under you, and your lower abdomen will look flatter.

Agreed.  10 miles in 25 minutes is 24mph, which, outdoors, on level ground and in still air, is well over 300 Watts.  That is an accomplishment for any non-pro.  It's a bit less impressive if there was a strong tailwind or if your course was mostly downhill, but it's still not bad at all.

Indoors, it's hard to compare.  Are you using a bicycle clamped to a trainer (if so, what kind?  A Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer and a typical road bike with 700C wheels, for example requires 397 Watts to turn it at 24mph, but a magnetic trainer or a wind trainer will be very, very different), rollers, or a stationary bicycle?  If the latter, it's hard to compare unless you know how much resistance you were using (it's more directly comparable if the cycle is smart enough to tell you your average Wattage).

If you're using an inexpensive stationary bicycle that uses a strap or a pad to apply resistance via friction, then if you feel like you're working hard, you're doing something good.  We can't really compare it to anything other than another stationary cycle of the same make and model, but the fitness will at least carry over when you move to an outdoor bicycle, and yes, you can still do intervals (crank up the resistance and go hard for a few minutes, then turn it back down and spin easy for a few minutes, repeat until your legs turn to jelly, then spin for 10-15 minutes to cool down, no more than twice per week).

As for me, I ride 150-200 miles per week, but I've been at it for six years.  When I was starting out, it was a big deal to go 10 miles three times per week.

If you already know what your goals are, and you already know that this trainer is full of ... stuff, why not save a pile of money by buying a copy of NROLFW, and do that program?

If you feel you need a trainer to guide you, then seek out one who has the certifications that Schuler, Cosgrove, and people like fitnessgirl see to be valuable.  Laugh in the face of anyone who tells you "that's a program for men," and walk away.

If you go the gel seat route, try to get one that has padding under the sit bones, and nowhere else.  Padding in the wrong places cuts off blood flow and nerve conduction, and leads to pain in other places (e.g., down your legs).

The shorts would be a better choice, IMHO, as would standing up to pedal every 10-15 minutes or so during the class, to restore blood flow and to use your muscles differently.

That said, lower-intensity cardio builds a base for being able to do a larger volume of high intensity cardio, and will improve your ability to recover between hard intervals.  They both have their place.  It just depends upon your goals.