Back on the bike this week.
Here are the workouts from yesterday and today.
Goal of these easy rides was to just ease my knee back into riding without risking aggravation or re-injury.
To hold 20mph for an hour at a HR of only 120 is pretty sweet though. I usually ride at much higher intensities - 140 bpm on the low end, 170 bpm (sustained) on the high end. My power output on these easy rides is at about 65% of my FTP - Functional Power Threshold. FTP is kind of a big deal. The test to find your FTP is brutal and involves prolonged suffering.
M first FTP test result was 225 W. I got it up to 260 in a few months by kicking my own ass and suffering in my Pain Cave. Noob gains.
To me, cycling is pretty simple. The harder you’re willing to work and the more you are willing to push the suffering envelope, the faster and fitter you will get. That said, I do reflect on the WHY of getting faster and fitter.
Faster? I really don’t care. I’m not going to race bikes.
Fitter? Yes. But not for the purpose of improving performance in group rides. I’d like to improve my endurance so that the longest, fastest group ride I may ever find myself in still feels enjoyable and not painful.
Following myself down this rabbit hole a bit further…
Why am I even doing group rides? Why am I engaging in this particular activity in the first place?
I think it is rooted in the same deep motivations that drive all of my various athletic pursuits. Fear of getting lazy, slow, fat, and unhealthy, for starters. But that just gets me on a bike for an easy exercise ride. What drives me to try to take this to a higher level?
I don’t know…I enjoy the learning aspect along the way. Drafting at high speeds is super addicting. Developing the fitness to burn 800 calories in an hour without suffering really unlocks access to many more bowls of cereal. And more bowls of cereal is always good.
The solid feeling of strength in my legs as I walk up and down stairs is something I didn’t expect, especially since I thought my tennis days may have been tipping my knee health towards accelerated osteoarthritis.
This latest knee injury does have me considering a bit of a slower approach to the cycling improvement, though. I’m going to get an in-depth pro bike fitting and really pull back the reigns on high-end power output for a bit. I can still tap into noob gains along a different part of the power output spectrum. Tempo and endurance rides/base training. Not easy for me to stick to such a plan. I always like to go harder.
I can’t ride tomorrow, so will hit the Acro power move/upper body strength/prehab/hand balancing/gymnastics routine. Will be nice to feel super fresh after no upper body work for two days. Need to be careful with the knee, though. No breakdance moves.
Jump rope probably needs to be on hold until MRI results.
