How Many Calories Do You Burn During a Day?

Check out the Calculator.  I built it on Google Docs for anyone to access.  Simply update the shaded boxes and find out many calories you burn during a normal day.  This formula factors your resting metabolic rate and your work lifestyle:  Are you a desk jockey or the star of The Deadliest Catch?

RMR Calculator

More Power = Less Time: How much less?

Disclaimer: This is completely unscientific. The results compare some split times using my Garmin Edge 705 and Powertap. Undoubtedly the GPS distance is off by several feet in each of these. Regardless, it's fun to geek on the data.

I was doing some intervals up Lookout Mtn a few weeks ago and compared the Avg. Watts to Time it took to cover the same Distance. Below are the results:

You'll notice that it took me 8:02 minutes to travel 1.47m with an avg. power output of 294. The following two intervals I stepped up the pace slightly and demonstrated that I could cover the same distance in a shorter amount of time. Duh!

I then extrapolated the % faster data into a 2-hour ride to see what the impact would be, say, during a race:

So what? Just 3-Watts is meaningful over the course of an entire race. It may seem like a small improvement in performance but the results can be big!

Big Ride Saturday

Saturday, I was able to get away for a great ride with some friends.  More MTB time on the road.  It's interesting, I've got a lot more road time on the MTB than the road bike - go figure.  I met up with Rob Jason, Von, Tom, Matt, and Shep.   We did the usual Gold Hill loop.  Rob, Matt, and Von opted for the "THE double ;^)" as Rob dubbed it in the email.  Translation:  two loops to Gold Hill.  GH has a lot of climbing - from my home and back with just one loop it doles out 4,200ft of climbing.

The weather was nice, if not too warm, as many of us overdressed.  The ride started off with a more mild mannered pace than usual but that didn't last too long.  The last 60+ minutes to the top was full gas - at least for me.  Von and Shep led the group to the top at a pace that was too stiff for me.  I hadn't been on the bike too much given my travel and work schedule but surprisingly felt pretty good.  Rob, Matt, and I swapped the lead a number of times each time catching the lead wheel and trying to hang on.

As I said, I surprised myself but taking some good pulls and not getting dropped.  I was hurting no doubt but I felt I had more inside which was a good positive reinforcement for me.  I know Rob (and Matt, although I've never ridden with him before) is a stronger rider than I am so it proved to be a good test for me.

We bombed the descent back down to Poormans where the second lap was to to start.  A few fist bumps later, I was heading back down and they were off for another.

I'm having so damn much fun on the MTB.  I'm trying to decide if I need the road bike any longer.  Every time I throw a leg over the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29er, I'm more impressed.  It handles great and just feels right to me.  I can't wait for the trails to open around here and be able report on how well it performs on trails I commonly ride. 

I'm going to start my 8-week, Chris Carmichael, Time Crunched Cyclist plan next week in anticipation of the Battle at the Bear coming May 8th.  I'll report more on the progress as it unfolds.  It will be interesting with the spring break family break, a NYC vacation,  and Philly travel.  Motivation will need to be high to pull it off!

One of my Favorite Workouts - 20/20s

I wasn't able to be get on the bike for 4 days due to business travel.  Actually, I did ride the Lifecycle bike at the hotel.  You know the one with the seat that is more appropriate for a John Deer Tractor.  I mean c'mon - really?  It's so wide, I had to sit all the way at the tip so my legs wouldn't rub.  Clearly a cyclist isn't leading the product management effort for this thing.  "Comfort Curve Seat" - Ha! I ride on 160 gram seats that are far more comfortable.

Anyways, I was looking forward to getting home and burning some kcals outside in the fresh air.  Well, that didn't happen - MORE SNOW :-0.  3-4" Friday night and another 4" as I write.  So.... back on that damned trainer for one of my favorite workouts, 20/20s. 

I like this workout a lot because time flies and it is very painful (in a good way).  If you haven't done them before work into them with shorter intervals first and longer rest between intervals (BI).

20/20 Workout

* 10-15 min warm up
* 5 min interval x 4.  Each interval starts with 20 seconds hard effort (well above your Functional Threshold or maximum sustainable effort for 20 minutes- i.e. push very hard) followed by 20 seconds easy effort and so on until the 5 minutes is up
* 5 min EE - ~ 60% of max 
* 10-min warm down

This workout is effective because it forces you to ride well past your sustainable limit and over time forcing your body to adapt. Ultimately, it should help to increase your Functional Threshold Limit)

Throw this into your training mix once or twice a week and I guarantee you'll be faster. 







 

Finding the Time

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'll be spending a lot of time traveling to Philadelphia since the company has agreed to be acquired.  Again, all good stuff but figuring out how to keep the fitness level up is going to present a new challenge and a new level of motivation.  I feel it - I just need to keep the sensation there.  I keep thinking Spring time when I know that the effort I put in now will make all the difference. 

As an example, I completed a 6am workout on the trainer this morning before heading to the airport.  I wasn't very motivated and more or less hate doing a forced workout that early - don't get me wrong, I like the AM but would rather be doing an early AM epic MTB ride.

It started off well intentioned - get a workout in as I won't have a chance to get on the bike until the weekend.  The planned workout was a good one for the trainer - especially with limited time ( I only had 45 minutes)

• 10 min warm up

• 3x5 minute intervals with 5 min BI

• Each interval consists of 1 min at 100% effort followed by 3 min at 85-90% effort, and then capped with 1 min by 100% effort with a sprint thrown in at the last 10 seconds. 

After the first interval I was demoralized.  Yes, I did it and could sustain the effort but it felt crappy.   I decided to change things up given I wasn't feeling up to another tough one.  Instead I did a 6 minute effort one-legged alternating each minute.  These are not the hardest cardiovascularly however they are painful on the quad (upper area connecting to the hip especially).  I was able to regain some composure after my next 5 min break and then was able to cap the workout with another 5 minute, hard effort, as planned.  Warm down for 5 min - all is good.

Fed the kids, kissed the wife, and off to the airport.

Key Ingredients to a Decent Trainer Workout

I had a good session on the trainer this evening.  I used a fairly standard workout I picked up from The Time Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael. 

15 min warm up with 3x8min Steady State (SS) efforts (85-90% of functional threshold) with 8min BI (between intervals).  Simple yet effective - I hope anyway. 

Key Ingredients:

1. Entertainment - HULU on the laptop is fantastic I must say. Especially when you've watched the 2006 Tour 23 times. 
2. A Good Fan - Unless you're taking it easy, a fan is critical IMO.  It keeps you from over cooking and feels more like on the road with a breeze at your face. 
3. Power Meter / HR Monitor - If you've got one or both great.  Very useful for precision workouts and if nothing else it allays some of the boredom by giving you something to look at and concentrate on.
4. Something to Drink - Probably stating the obvious here.  Remember to buy some of the Camelbak Podium bottles - no drippage / spillage. 
5. Sweat Mat - Don't sweat on the carpet, stupid! 
6. Sweat Towel - Keep that stuff controlled - no need to get it on the bike, floor, etc. 
7. Imagination- If you get bored do something different to get the workout completed.  I've often found myself mentally not into it.  Switch things up a bit - change the workout on the fly:

• 1- legged intervals - you'll be shocked at how odd it feels if you haven't done them before.  Those pretty circles you spin so well will feel like squares. 
• 20 / 20s - 100% for 20 seconds  then 60% for 20 seconds and so on for 3-5 minutes and an equal amount of rest.  Trust me - these are hard and time does go by more quickly. 
• 1 min All out x 3 min easy for the entire workout 
• Standup / sit down 

It's not always fun or easy but you can make it more so by trying different things and being prepared and well equipped.  I'll share some other workouts with you soon to help get through the Winter. 

Training Program

With all of the snow and cold hitting Colorado (and everywhere it seems this winter) I've spent far more time on the trainer than I would like to admit.  I hate the trainer to be clear.  It's an evil apparatus that spawns boredom and pain all at once.  Luckily I'm feeling a lot more motivated than I was last year.  Perhaps its because memories of our annual man-trip out to Fruita, CO where my buddies proceeded to drag me around the high-dessert terrain for 4-days straight.  I will defiantly be better prepared this year - maybe I'll just be "pulled" rather than "dragged" ;-).

Another challenge, a new one, has to do with my company;  we recently sold the company to a much larger company in Philadelphia.  It was a good transaction and great for me and the employees.  I will however be going to Philly a lot.  Figuring out how to get some solid workouts in while traveling will be a challenge - hell, maybe I'll actually miss having the trainer available.  

All this being said, most of us are challenged to remain speedy on the bike while managing family and work.  I mentioned earlier that I will be following The Time Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael.  It's an 8-10 week program so I'll begin roughly in first half of March in anticipation of my first race of the year, The Battle at the Bear,  followed 2-weeks after with the second the Gunnison Growler (although I need to pull a few strings to get in as it sold out in only a few hours).

In the meantime I've been getting my 6ish hours in per week with some intensity work (85%-90%) a couple of times a week, to make sure I maintain my fitness and have a solid foundation before cranking up the intensity.  Despite hating the trainer, it works, and the anticipation of the man-weekend and the first race is keeping me focused.

I want to do well in the season opener at Battle at the Bear.  In 2008 I finished 3rd in the Expert class.  Last year, 17th.  That hurt but I knew I wasn't in as good of shape.  I'm hoping to improve this year.    
I've learned a lot about working out and balancing family and career.  I'm not the fastest guy around by an stretch however I do know what's worked for me and what hasn't.  I'll be sure to share shortly and attempt to couple those leanings with what' I've read in the Time Crunched Cyclist (which is a great read by the way and spot on for folks like us, IMO).