Garage SPIN

This week is an opportunity to recover from 3 weeks of hard riding. The body needs time to repair itself in order to get stronger. However, this doesn't mean that you stop riding. Easy riding helps muscles recover faster. I monitor my heart rate which can be one way to tell how hard you are working. During days of rest or active recovery I keep my heart rate between 60 to 75 percent of my maximum, which is 205 Beats Per Minute (BPM). During tempo or harder efforts I will hover at 80 to 85 percent. So I continue to ride but it's easy or what we call a noodle ride with low to no intensity.

Another part of the equation is resting heart rate. My sitting heart rate is usually 52 PBM. A few weeks ago I put in a lot of mileage, over 300 miles, and noticed my sitting heart rate was at 65 PBM. This tells me I need to back off and rest which is exactly what I'm doing this week.

So yesterday I was in the garage doing my own personal spin class, a little over an hour, which consists of any number of things; standing, sitting, big gear, fast spins, etc., are just some of the things I can do. I have a TV to watch videos, cycling riding and training DVDs, and a fan to keep me cool. You'll notice in the picture that the front end is elevated. Now the muscles think they are climbing something I always need to work on. Also there is a resistance devise that I use to simulate the road. I can also monitor RPMs (Revolutions Per Minute) speed, distance and watts. All are other important factors I record from every ride to see how I'm improving.

Lastly, I'm still a part of the radio contestants. Today on the Scott & BR show they eliminated another person so we are down to 14. The competition is heating up. I'm sure each week more and more will be expected of us which I don't mind. This is an important aspect of what I believe in which is "Finding Ways to Help Others". CAF and XX 1090 are helping and I need to do my part.