Winter Training: Lessons Learned on the Hardwood

It’s April 1st, 2017, and the first group ride of the season is about to take place. It’s a mostly sunny day, with a temperature of 6C (43F) and today’s group includes some of the faster riders in town. The 60 km ride is hard, with my heart pounding out of my chest on several occasions, which comes with the interesting mental note that my heart can still hit 162 beats per minute without sending me to the back of an ambulance. Incidentally, my maximum heart rate on the bike is 162. At 43 years old I am likely the oldest member of the group, and today I am cursing every ride that I DIDN’T DO over the course of the winter.

Unfortunately this is par for the course for my annual spring rides. Every fall the snow comes, the trainer comes out, and the riding grinds to a halt. The spring and summer is spent getting ‘back in shape’ while simultaneously trying to participate in endurance bike events, from 100 km road rides, to 8 hour mountain bike races. Thankfully I have a riding partner with boundless energy who keeps me pushing through the pain in the early season, then lets me chase him for the rest of the summer while he trains for a 24 hour mountain bike race.

Now it’s November 2017 and the snow is on the ground in my Northern Ontario town. It’s a balmy -8C as I type this first blog post. It will likely be April again before I move across pavement on two wheels. This year I am vowing to be different. By April I am striving to be more fit than any other spring since I began riding. A winter of increasing my cardiovascular fitness, maximum leg strength and efficiency on the bike, while decreasing my weight. Yes, I want to get FASTER.

Enter Zwift. Having been exposed to Zwift by the GCN Channel, and then further by GP Lama (Shane Miller), it was the catalyst in deciding to purchase a [amazon_textlink asin=’B0112VE4NO’ text=’Tacx Neo smart trainer’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’zwif-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’474de508-de95-11e7-b500-45bccf9d2a6a’], and getting a membership to Zwift. It’s now three weeks into my Zwift winter adventure. I’ve traveled 1100 km up and down the roads of Watopia, and have learned some lessons, while already seeing improvements in my fitness. I spent the first few rides on the Neo doing self punishment in the form of fitness testing. The first day was the Tacx App’s virtual Alpe D’Huez climb. This was followed by the 60 minute FTP test, a 20 km time trial and then another ride for some maximum effort sprints. This information I have been able to add to fitness testing that I did this summer as part of a University research study. Thanks to the Neo and Zwift I can use this baseline testing to stimulate the ‘numbers’ side of my brain and keep me on track throughout the winter.

With this blog I plan on sharing my progress. The highs and the lows, as well as the lessons learned along the way. From a selfish perspective, I plan on using it to hold me accountable to my winter goals. There are a few Strava KOM’s that have been whispering my name, and come spring the race will be on to snatch them away! 🙂

Starting Statistics

• Age: 44
• Height: 188 cm / 6’2″
• Weight: 89 kg / 196.2lbs
• FTP: 243
• Time up Virtual Alpe d’Huez: 1:37.22 (**incorrect weight recorded before this ride so I carried an extra 9 kg up this silly mountain)
• 20 km Time Trial: 34:05 at average power of 242 watts
• Max Wattage: 897 watts

Zwift for Weight Loss: Diet and Nutrition

You need a strong drive to successfully navigate the start of a diet and exercise program. Do you have the steely mindset of a marathon runner for the long haul? Commitment is vital because all of us want to give in at some point in the first month. Are you the type of person to wade into the pool or the type who dives in? You’ll want to be strict the first fifteen days to turn your body in a new direction.

Let’s be clear: when the term ‘Weight Loss’ is used, we are actually referring to ‘Fat Loss.’ It is recommended you get your body fat measured. The cheapest way is to buy a scale that will estimate your body fat percentage. Even if they are not as accurate as a sports lab, they will help you monitor your fat loss. Many diets reduce weight by the loss of muscle tissue and water. This is not a successful diet or way of life. What do we want then?

Retain and Build Muscle

Muscle mass aids your metabolism. Losing muscle lowers the amount of calories needed in the daily diet. The keys to sufficient muscle structure are strength exercise, sufficient nutrients, and protein.

Reduce Dietary Fat

Merely reducing the number of calories in the diet often results only in a slower metabolism and thus, no weight loss. Interestingly, eating a small excess of carbohydrates and proteins will usually temporarily increase your metabolism to burn those extra calories. Some excess will be stored in your muscle cells after daily exercise. However, there is no increased metabolism with saturated fats.

I don’t count calories. I look at the amount of fat, especially saturated fat. 1% milk is almost 20% fat. Coconut milk has almost 20% saturated fat. Read the labels on cheese. Ouch!

Gradual Loss for Permanent Fat Loss

Often two pounds a month is a good rate. Don’t think that you can lose drastic weight by cutting calories in half. There are several detrimental effects of an extremely low calorie diet, defined as 1200 calories or less. They include:

• A large drop in metabolism
• Cannibalizing of muscle tissue
• Increased appetite
• Production of the enzyme Lipoprotein Lipase, a defensive mechanism to preserve body fat
• A reset of your fat levels. Your body will store excess fat to a higher level whenever it becomes available

Items to Avoid

• Fried foods
• Preservatives and sodium nitrates including deli meats, bacon, sausage, and ham. Just look at the ingredients in those packages of Ramen noodles!
• Corn syrup
• Junk food: soda, candy, cake, ice cream, cookies (with one exception below)
• Alcohol
• Salad dressings and hydrogenated oils
• Reduce all saturated fats. Choose skim milk.
• Pork and beef. Choose lean meats, such as turkey.
• Eliminate, as best you can, restaurant and processed foods.

Take the Dive

• Try cooking with sesame oil. Do not to use high heat. Most oils become heat damaged. With cold foods, use olive or pumpkin oil in small amounts.
• Use honey and real maple syrup in place of sugar. Don’t be tempted to use artificial sweeteners.
• Use only grass-fed beef and milk, and free-range organic chicken. Try vegetarian for a bit.
• Avoid farm-raised fish. Tilapia, catfish, salmon, and especially fish from Asia are on many lists of foods to avoid.

Further down the road in this series, we can go into the evidence for these restrictions. Why so strict on meat? The problem with meat sources is corporate selected animal feed. Much of our meat source is fed junk food to fatten up as fast as possible. As an example, read these articles: Fish, and Tilapia. You may not agree with Dr. Axe. But his warnings can not be brushed aside. Let me just paraphrase a doctor who said that ‘definitive proof is not available yet.’ He added, ‘Don’t wait for that report. Act sensibly now.’ Other health experts say there is sufficient evidence to make these changes.

Helpful Tips

• Use a smaller plate, except for a salad bowl (preferably only balsamic vinegar or lemon juice).
• Put the veggies on your plate first, not last. Take a large serving.
• Eat breakfast daily, preferably after morning exercise. This will keep your metabolism steady. If you lower your metabolism, weight loss will be much more difficult.
• Buy a protein powder and use with a meal instead of a meat protein. You’ll want about a 20 gram serving size. Whey protein is a good source readily found. I prefer egg white protein, such as Healthy n Fit. Egg whites are one of the best protein sources. Don’t eat raw egg whites. They have a very low absorption rate.
• Snacks: Try to plan ahead to have a healthy snack available if needed; a kiwi, a few walnuts, or another healthy alternate. I sometimes eat frozen cherries. Be wary of snack bars that are basically candy bars with oatmeal and processed soy protein. Again, homemade is the only good choice.

Now, it’s time to fill up your shelves, fridge, and freezer with healthy choices. Put a lot of pictures on your phone of healthy food choices and meals. Scroll through those pictures when you are shopping or when you get hungry.

Make a Shopping List

• Special items: Bone broth, green tea, fat free Greek yogurt, kombucha
• Veggies: peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, broccoli, corn, spinach.
• Starches: pinto beans, white beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, hummus, rice with a few cashews, green pea soup.
• Flavorful: kimchi, salsa with corn tortillas baked in the toaster, ginger, hot peppers, scallions.
• Snacks: pretzels, air-popped plain popcorn.
• Sweets: fruit Smoothie (banana, cherries, blueberries), raisins with a square of unsweetened chocolate, Newman’s Organic Prunes (to die for), homemade biscotti (an occasional treat).
• Bread: Bread isn’t evil. Always choose one with simple ingredients, not a long list of chemicals and preservatives. If it comes in a can, avoid it.

Hunger is for Nutrition

Hunger is your body seeking nutrition. It is not satisfied by just eating calories. Foods that lack nutrients will not satisfy that hunger. You may not feel like you are full when eating a bag of candy. Even when we overeat, our hunger often returns as soon as our body recognizes there is still a lack of needed nutrients.

I trust some of this will strongly benefit your successful diet.  In our next article, we will discuss your exercise program. You can find my recipe for low fat Biscotti at ZwiftOff. I’m planning a workout Zwift class starting in January. Group workouts on Zwift are growing by leaps and bounds, and it would be great to workout together!

Hydration for Zwifters

That hydration is key to optimal performance is no mystery. Some (myself included) would argue that water is one of the most effective performance enhancing substances on the planet. Perhaps this is due to the negative effects we begin to feel with even mild dehydration. The science behind this phenomenon explains that this is not just something athletes have made up. We sweat to help keep our body temperatures down during exercise. According to many studies (like this one), when we lose as little at 2% of our body mass/weight due to sweat, our performance can suffer.

Math time: How much water can a cyclist weighing 75kg (about 165lbs) lose before exceeding 2% of their body mass/weight?

With all of the wattage figures Zwifters throw out, I know your math skills are amazing, so you immediately came up with 1.5kg or 3.3lbs of water, right? So, how long does it take to lose this much? Given that people sweat at different rates, the range between .5L to 2.0L per hour is most often used. That means that our 75kg cyclist could lose up to 2 kg (4.4lbs) per hour under the most demanding circumstances (intense ride in hot weather), or .5 kg per hour if just cruising around the flats of London in zone 2. Extend the ride to 2 or 3 hours, and the sweat volume has the potential to really add up.

Great, but how can you turn that into useful information? Your scale. This is perhaps the best use for your bathroom scale aside from tracking long term fluctuations in body mass. Since every person has a different sweat-rate, and every ride has its own intensity level, your scale is the answer. Of course, this system assumes that you are starting the ride well-hydrated.

Step 1: Weigh yourself nude immediately before kitting up to ride.

Step 2: Estimate your liquid needs based on your ride length and intensity (overestimate).

Step 3: Ride, trying to consume .4-.8L of fluid per hour (1 medium bottle per hour)

Step 4: Weigh yourself nude immediately after ride (after urinating if need be).

Step 5: Replace liquid at a rate of 1.5L per kg lost (roughly one large water bottle per pound, or 2 per kg)

This system can determine how your current hydration strategy is working. Did you lose water? Were you balanced? Based on this, you can adjust your liquid intake while you ride, increasing intake for higher intensity workouts. And for your next Three Sisters ride or Zwift race, you can line up those bottles proudly!

Many add carbohydrate, protein, and sodium to the liquid they drink during rides and for post-workout recovery. While this is an important part of an athlete’s nutritional arsenal, those topics will have to wait until further articles.

For now, hydrate well and Ride On!

100 Miles to the Pacific with PR Lotion

After the results of my first and second hard rides using Topical Edge’s PR Lotion, I was looking forward to trying it again. This time I would be riding one of my favorite routes: an imperial century from my hometown to the Pacific Ocean.

See the ride on Strava

The Warmup

The legs felt fairly fresh, the weather was perfect, I was fueled and hydrated. Once more I rubbed the PR Lotion into my upper legs about 30 minutes before the ride began, then my buddy Zane showed up and we were off. It was a little after 9AM on Friday, September 8, 2017.

After a ~7 mile warmup we hit the first climb of the day, known by locals simply as “Hopland.” It’s actually two climbs, the first 1 mile long (6% grade) and the second 2.7 miles long (5% grade). I felt good up the first climb, but didn’t push it hard, averaging 307 watts for 6 minutes to get the legs warmed up.

Hitting It Hard

As we started the second climb I ramped it up a bit, because the legs felt good. At the halfway point I looked down at my Elemnt and saw I was ahead of my PR for this climb by over 30 seconds… and I was feeling good! So I kept pushing it. Zane (who is a stronger rider than I) commented, “Man, you’re really hammering this morning!” He stayed behind me the whole time, and I kept pushing it to the top.

My finishing time was 14:18, a 9% improvement on my previous PR of 15:38. I’d been hitting a PR ceiling on this climb for a long time, with my last 5 hard attempts over the past year or more all coming in at 15:38 or 15:39.

An Ill-Fated KOM Attempt

I was blown away and excited as we descended the backside of this climb. Felt so good, in fact, that I told Zane I wanted to try to take a KOM on the next flattish section, which was actually a slight (-2%) 5.4 mile downhill into the town of Hopland. Zane said his legs weren’t feeling very good so I would have to do most of the pulling, and I was OK with that.

The problem was, I didn’t know when the segment began, and road construction meant we hit a stoplight that stalled us for a few minutes at the beginning of the segment. No KOM for us.

Realization Sets In

We made our way to the next climb of the day, Mountain House Road, which is almost 9 miles long. At this point we were 22 miles into a 100 mile ride, and when we began the first climb, Zane and I both realized we had a problem: our legs were cooked. Oops.

We spun it easy up Mountain House, but it was clear to both of us that I had hammered too hard up Hopland and on the flat section KOM attempt. This ride was going to hurt.

We stopped at the next store we could find, drinking Cokes and scarfing snacks in the tiny town of Yorkville (population 188!) in an attempt to get some energy into our bodies. It helped a bit, but it still felt like a slog as we made our way along HWY 128 to Boonville.

Boonville is a quaint town whose most interesting feature is the fact that its inhabitants created their own language, Boontling, in the late 1800s. We grabbed lunch here and headed out.

The rest of the ride was fairly unremarkable: we both knew we had overcooked ourselves, so we weren’t pushing too hard. I did make one 30 minute effort on a segment I had spotted the day before, only because former pro Ted King had the KOM and I thought we could take it from him. I ended up pulling most of the way because Zane was cramping hard, but in the end of the KOM was ours so that felt good. (It certainly felt better than my legs, which had begun to cramp during hard efforts.)

We made it to the ocean, turned turn on HWY 1, and pulled into Mendocino for an ice cream cone. Century complete.

Lesson Learned

What did this ride teach me? You’ve got to be careful with long rides and PR lotion, because you may feel so good that you’ll overdo it early and pay for it later. I should have learned this lesson from the Dunnigan Hills Road Race, but apparently I need to be told these things a second time.

Apart from this negative outcome, I was pretty stoked from this ride, as I was able to set a lot of PRs and even grab a KOM. Those always feel good, even when you know in your heart that the former pro you grabbed it from could kick your butt any day.

---

Where to Buy PR Lotion

Buy PR Lotion here. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and shipping is free on orders over $75.

---

Zwifting my way to the Boston Marathon (Part Two)

Since my first post the training has continued apace, with Zwift mileage coming in at around 100+ miles a week, while running mileage was 50 last week and well on the way to 55 this week.

The tough thing about this period of time is that there is quite a high frequency of local running races. Time off with an injury (see previous post) creates a ‘triple-whammy’: I want to race (having had time off), but am in poor shape, and this is made more complicated by the fact that racing forces me to alter my training to accommodate it.

Nonetheless, I raced anyway last Sunday, an undulating multi-terrain 8.2 miler on the Exmoor coast, the Ilfracombe ‘Combe Crawler’ (alliteration in running race names is a pretty big deal round here). Last year I had won it unexpectedly, so despite the promise of some fairly stiff opposition I went along to see how I’d get on. I had my fingers crossed the ‘Zwift effect’ could help me pull something out of the bag.

In the end it sadly wasn’t to be. A young runner, a real whippet of a teenager, led from the start and pulled off a great win, setting a new course record in the process! But it was still a great run for me. I never go into races pinning all my hopes on a top 3 finish, I just want to have a good race and feel I ran well. So I was delighted to finish 3rd overall and most importantly, secure a big PR on last year, improving from 1:00:53 to 59:26, an improvement of 1 minute and 27 seconds. In my previous race a 20 second PR had provided some evidence of a boost from the Zwift training; this was really unexpected.

Zwift training continues, not without hiccups…

I’m on the penultimate week of the 6 week FTP builder and some of the sessions have been quite a step up! A lot of sweat has been produced and my craving for savoury food has gone through the roof.

I scared myself quite spectacularly at the end of last week with a condition which I shall christen ‘T.E.D.’. It should be enough to say that the third word is ‘dysfunction’, but fortunately the first word was ‘temporary’. There is a lot of information about correct bike fitting and this is an area which I’m taking my first baby steps into. Suffice to say I set the saddle a little too high, but rode on for an incredibly uncomfortable workout.  Afterwards I found myself without full feeling in a certain part of my anatomy which I’d rather retain full feeling in! This only lasted about 3-4 days and the benefits of having a best friend who is also a doctor are many!

The good news is it didn’t dampen my enthusiasm, if anything I should really have given my body more time to repair, but a little perceived improvement was all I needed to be back on the bike the next day. I’m desperate to get this training program finished off and get into some races! There are some great Zwiftblog.com articles about racing and teams and this is what I’m all about. The FTP boosting is a means to an end. I want that sweet reward of throwin’ it down against other Zwifters around the world! One more week and I’ll be free.

Next week

Before I can focus on the Zwift racing, there is the small matter of another running race this weekend, the Devon county cross-country championships in Exeter. While this probably doesn’t attract the same number, or calibre, of runners as other cross-country events around the UK (or the world), it holds significance for me as it could provide a passage to competing at county level. Following the race, a team of the six fastest ‘senior’ men (18-34) will be selected for the upcoming South-West Inter-county championships.

In last year’s race I only came 9th in my category. I think it’s probably a little too soon for me to make much of an inroad into that at this stage in the training, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that the Zwift magic will continue. Even a decent PR will be good enough for me.

I’ve structured my training to try and get me to the start as fresh as possible, with the bulk of the week’s mileage run and cycled between Sunday and Wednesday, with only easy 30 minute runs Saturday and Saturday, and an easy 45 minute Zwift. Balancing Zwifting and running races is something I still need to figure out, but as this is a race I’d like to do my best at, I think a little discretion will be best.

Keep your fingers crossed; it’s going to be a tense day on Sunday…