Biking to Live Week 5 Summary
May 25, 2008 by Bryan
Filed under Uncategorized
This was a good week of riding. I managed to get all three of my weekday rides in as well as a longer Saturday ride. The shift to my Cannondale R-300 has dramatically helped me improve my speed.
Here are the totals for this week:
Monday: 11.52 miles, 52:26, 16.1 mph max, and 13.1 mph avg
Wednesday: 11.51 miles, 53:35, 18.2 mph max, and 12.8 mph avg (first ride on the Cannondale)
Friday: 12.17 miles, 47:05, 18.7 mph max, and 15.5 mph avg
Saturday: 25.14 miles, 1 hr 36 min, 20.8 mph max, 15.6 mph avg
Even though Wednesday way my first ride on The Crotch Rocket my average speed was still about the same due to taking it easy. I was riding with my brother-in-law who was riding a hybrid and if I hadn’t taken it slow I would have dropped him pretty quick. On Friday and Saturday though you can see a substantial increase in the average speed.
I also passed 200 miles this week since starting Biking To Live and this weeks mileage puts me at 241 miles total.
I can’t tell you how much better I feel since embarking on this journey. Not only is my biking improving but my health is too. My weight loss has been minimal (less than 5 pounds) but improvements in my blood pressure and heart rate has been dramatic. I had another doctor’s visit this week to follow up on some blood work and my resting heart rate had dropped 3 beats and my blood pressure is normal for the first time in a long time. The doc called my blood pressure perfect. I’m still taking meds for it but by the time I lose all this weight I hope to be able to come off of them. Time will tell.
As I said, my weight hasn’t changed much at all but I am seeing drastic changes in the fit of my clothes. I believe I’m burning the fat off but am replacing it with muscle with riding I’m doing. I talked with the doctor about this and he seemed to agree with me. He also said that losing 5 pounds in a month isn’t bad at all because you should be taking it off slowly (approx 1-1.5 pounds per week). If I follow the 1 pounds per week thumbrule then I’m right on track. He told me that as long as my clothes are getting bigger then I’m doing it right. He just cautioned me to watch my diet (which I am) and to start taking a multi-vitamin (which I will).
Pete over at Cycle Pig has started a new weekly series called The Weekly Oink where he summarizes some of the great content he’s found throughout the week. This week, one of the links he’s shared was a video documenting the construction of a bicycle helmet. Very fascinating. You should check it out.
Ray on Sun, 25th May 2008 8:04 pm
Since I started biking last summer, I’ve had the same experience as you — not much weight loss, but a trimmer waist, and better (looser) fitting clothes.
Today I am at the lowest weight so far this year, but it’s just eight pounds below where I started.
However, my doctor is also pleased at my blood pressure these days.
thePig on Mon, 26th May 2008 5:10 am
4.5 hours on the bike in a week is awesome! I wish I were doing that at the moment. Also looks like the health is heading in the right direction.
I have had a similar experience lately that I feel healthier and the clothes fit better prior to dropping some weight.
Thanks for the mention of The Weekly Oink.
Bryan on Mon, 26th May 2008 10:37 am
@Ray: It’s good to hear I’m not the only person experiencing this.
@thePig: I wouldn’t get those hours on the bike if I didn’t do it at 5:00 AM on the weekdays. Yes, it’s early, but if you get to bed early it’s not bad. You’re welcome.
daveydave on Mon, 26th May 2008 11:32 pm
Bryan, you are flying on the Cannondale!
If you can maintain the same power that you are putting out when you begin to show some weight loss…well, you are going to see a huge jump in your avg and max times. I have to say, I’m a bit envious. I couldn’t do that at 200lbs and a months worth of training.
That advantage Chris Carmichael spoke about with larger riders may come into play at some point not too far down the line.
Check out this online calculator to determine your power and how that power will translate when you weigh a different weight.
http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm
Still hanging around 170lbs down from last summers lazy guy 205lbs. These last few weeks I haven’t seen a great deal of loss if any, but like you guys, I’m feeling it in the clothing and I’m riding with lower heart rate and higher speed.
I’m also doing my first Time Trial this Thursday. That’s a big step considering where I was last year.
The former Clydesdale, about to give a Time Trial a try. Who would have thought?
Also, so glad to hear you and your daughter are ok after that scare!
dave
Bryan on Tue, 27th May 2008 9:17 am
@Dave: Thanks for the comments. I’m going to check out that link. I’ve always had a very muscular build because of football and weightlifting. Over the years I let the fat cover it up though. My best assets have always been my leg muscles though which may be helping. They aren’t tree trunks but they’ve always been large and muscular.
Man, a drop of 205 to 170 in less than a year is huge.
I’ve also thought about doing some time trialing. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at some kind of racing and time trialing might be my opportunity. I’m not in shape enough right now but maybe next year. There’s a weekly time trial series down in Orlando that might be cool to check out. That’s a long drive though (2.5 hrs). I really wish there was some kind of organized weekly training crits or time trials here in Jacksonville. That I know of there isn’t. There seems to be a large road riding contingent here and it makes me wonder why there isn’t something like that organized here.
Dave, good luck on the time trial. I’m envious. Are you using a special time trial bike or just putting aerobars on your road bike?
My daugher and I are glad everything turned out ok too.
Komodo Dragon on Sat, 31st May 2008 2:15 pm
wow, nice millage! Keep up the good work, its hard though, im trying as well
Bryan on Sat, 31st May 2008 3:26 pm
@Komodo Dragon: Yes, it is hard. My mileage is coming along but I’ve got a ways to go. It’s good to hear you’re trying too. Thanks for stopping by.