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Fitness

It’s All About Heart…Rate

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A couple of weeks ago I wrote down some of the random thoughts I had while I was out on a long bike ride. One of those was, “The older one gets, the more important a heart rate monitor is.”

I shared that thought with some folks on my weekly group ride. It prompted some questions and conversations about heart rate, heart zone training, and heart rate monitors. This post is about those topics.

I was first convinced to pay attention to heart rate zones during a double-century ride with Fast Freddie Rodriguez. He explained that the vast majority of the training he did as a successful pro racer was based on zone 2 heart rate training. Since then it has been the metric that I use more than any other to guide my training.

What is Heart Rate-based Training?

Training based on heart rate is almost exactly what the name implies. Rather than worrying about speed, power, or cadence (running or pedaling) you focus on keeping your heart rate within a specific range. That range can vary within a workout. For example, a training plan that I follow when preparing for long gravel races calls for 20 minutes of zone 2 heart rate followed by 5 minutes in zone 4 and 5 before returning to zone 2 (repeated three times).

Most of the training programs and tools that I’ve used follow a model of five heart rate zones of 1 through 5. 1 is basically a warm-up zone and 5 is your absolute maximum effort. I’ve seen some programs that use seven zones, but that seems like too much to try to keep track of while exercising.

The Idea Behind Heart Rate-based Training

The big idea behind heart rate-based training is to spend a lot time in zone 2. By doing that you build up a strong base that can be relied upon when you do need to up the pace. Then when you do need to up the pace you can stay there longer because you haven’t burned a ton of energy going from 0 to 5 since you 2 has become relatively easy to reach and hold.

Global Cycling Network and Global Triathlon Network both have excellent videos on these topics. I’ve included those videos below.

How to Track Heart Rate

To get the most accurate heart rate readings, a chest strap monitor is the best option. However, some people find them uncomfortable. I don’t find them uncomfortable, I just find them to be less convenient than wearing a watch that has a heart rate monitor function. I wear a Garmin Fenix series watch that easily pairs to my bike’s Wahoo computer.

The downside to using a watch heart rate monitor is that it’s not as accurate as a chest strap monitor. A watch has to be worn correctly (snuggly) in order to be accurate. And because it’s on your wrist there is a lag in reading accuracy. For example, I know what Zone 5 feels like but I don’t see the Zone 5 reading appear until I’ve already been there for 10-15 seconds. The other influencing factor of watch heart rate monitors is the complexion of your skin. In the summer when my arms are really tan, the monitor is not as accurate as in the winter when I’m as pale as a fish’s belly.

How the Heart Pumps Blood

Should you be interested in teaching a basic lesson about heart rate to your students, TED-Ed has a good primer on the topic. That lesson is embedded below.

Bottom Line

The big takeaway from learning about heart rate-based training is that you don’t have to go hard all the time in order to make big improvements in your fitness. In fact, going hard all the time is probably a detriment to making improvements in your fitness. The winning formula seems to be: Have fun, watch your heart rate, and be consistent.

And with that, I’m going for a walk.

Seven Random Thoughts from a Long Bike Ride

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Those who follow me on Strava or Threads probably already saw this. But while walking my puppy this morning I decided to expand upon it a bit.

The great thing about long bike rides, long runs, long hikes in the woods, long kayaking trips, or really any other outdoor endurance activity is that it gives you time to let your mind wander. Sometimes that’s a good thing as it can help you mentally reset after a long day or a long week. Other times, it’s not so good as it can lead to stewing if you’re not careful.

Last Saturday I mentally stewed while riding my bike. That was partly due to the fact that it was a relatively easy ride so I didn’t have any hard efforts to make myself forget about everything but riding. So on Sunday I set out to remedy that by riding hard for 70 miles. As I did that, these thoughts popped into my head.

1. Always show up for your kids.

2. Interesting pictures make great search prompts. (I teach a course about that).

3. The older one gets, the more important a heart rate monitor is.

4. Ride hard and negative thoughts go away.

5. It never gets easier, you just go faster (Greg LeMond)

6. When does a cookie become too big to eat in one go?

7. Every mushroom is edible at least once.

What about you? Do you enjoy letting your mind wander while out on a bike or out for a hike? If so, put a fun random thought in the comments below.

How to Use Strava to Plan Off-road Biking and Running Routes

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For a variety of reasons Strava is my favorite social media platform these days. Over the years Strava has taught me about the value of digital badges and it’s helped me keep track of my progress toward various fitness goals. And it’s the tool that I go to when I want to plan a new biking or running route.

The latest version of Strava’s route planning tool has a manual function that can be used to create off-road routes. With that function enabled you can create routes that go to and through places where you know there’s a trail that doesn’t show up on the standard Strava base maps. Watch my short video that is embedded below to learn how to plan a biking route in Strava.

As I mentioned in the video above, the routes that you create in Strava can sync to your bike computer and or to your smart watch. I sync my biking routes to my Wahoo bike computer and running routes to my Garmin Fenix watch.

If you’re not familiar with it, you can read an overview of Strava here.

Muc-Off X-3 Dirty Chain Machine Review

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When I was a kid I learned that cleaning and lubricating the chain on my bike was an important part of taking care of it. I would often clean and lube the chain after completing my paper route (no, I’m not quite old enough to have lived a Norman Rockwell painting). It always made my bike feel faster!

Fast forward a few decades and I still clean and lube the chain on my bikes after nearly every ride. For years I’ve used Park Tool brushes and rags to do this. This spring I started using a new-to-me product called the Muc-Off X-3 Dirty Chain Machine to clean the chain on my bike.

How It Works

The Muc-Off X-3 Dirty Chain Machine is a tool that clamps onto your bike’s chain. There is an upper and lower part component to it. Both parts have little brushes that clean your chain while you turn the crank on your bike.

The top section of the X-3 Dirty Chain Machine has a little refillable reservoir of cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid drips onto your chain while you spin the crank. All of the used liquid and grease drips into the lower section of the X-3 Dirty Chain Machine.

How Well Does It Work?

Overall, I’m really happy with how well it works. That said, there are some quirks to it that are worth noting. First, the little handle that comes with it is mostly useless because, as you’ll see in the video below, you have to hold down a little button on the top of the unit to release the cleaning liquid. I’ve found that I can’t hold the handle and push the cleaning liquid release button at the same time. The other quirk of operating the X-3 Dirty Chain Machine is that you have to be careful not to twist your bike’s chain with it or else it jams.

As for how well it actually cleans, I’d rate it 8/10. It does a great job of cleaning the outer links of the chain and inside of them. But to get my chain sparkling clean I still have to take a rag and individually wipe the inner links.

Video Overview

I recorded a video of using the Muc-Off X-3 Dirty Chain Machine. In the video you’ll see how it works, a bit of my commentary about it, and you’ll see a guest appearance by my puppy. Watch the video here or as embedded below.

How to Download Google Maps for Offline Adventures

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We know that going outside is good for us. But going outside in a new place can be intimidating if you don’t know where you’re going.

Most of us rely on mobile phone apps to navigate in new places. But that doesn’t always work as well as expected. That’s especially true in areas that have poor mobile phone service. Fortunately, Google Maps can now be downloaded to your phone for offline use.

In the short video that is embedded below I demonstrate how to download Google Maps for offline use.

As I wrote last week, if you’re going for a hike in an area that you don’t know, I still recommend taking along a paper map and compass. You never know when that cell phone you’re relying on will go kaput, but it usually happens when you need it the most.

Go outside, it’s good for you.

It’s a great way to improve your mood.

Ten Things To Do To Improve Your Mood

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From time to time we all get in a funk. For some of us this happens more often than we care to admit.

Over the years I’ve tried lots of methods for improving my mood when I’m not feeling great. They don’t all work every time, but one of them is bound to work when you need it. That’s why I keep a list.

Here’s my list of things to do to improve my mood:

  • Go for a walk or a bike ride. Going outside is my go-to method and it works more reliably than anything else I do to improve my mood.
  • Write it down. Sometimes writing down what’s bugging me helps me identify the problem. Once identified, then I can go about dealing with the problem.
  • Drink a coffee or eat an apple. Maybe the problem is as simple as being under-caffeinated or having low blood sugar. (Side note, coffee and apples are better for stress-snacking than chips, pretzels, or alcohol).
  • Look at one picture. I have a bunch of pictures in my office. Looking at one and thinking about the good times associated often provides a little pick-me-up.
  • Try a Focusable breathing activity. Focusable is a free tool that I started using last year to help me focus and re-focus when I get off task or am procrastinating when I shouldn’t be. Learn more about it here.
  • Turn off the screens. Scrolling through social media rarely helps anything. And when I’m in a funk ti just perpetuates my poor mood.
  • Read an interesting book. Fifteen minutes of reading a good, interesting book is often all it takes to get some new ideas that start me on my way to better mood and more productivity. I’m currently reading John Gierach’s latest book, All the Time in the World.
  • Make a list of the good things in life. Writing down a list of the things that are good in life and the things that make me happy can improve my mood.
  • Work on a hobby project. For the last three months I’ve been picking away at building a fly rod. It’s a little project that I can work on for five to ten minutes a day and see a little bit of progress. The best part is that I can’t do it while looking at a screen.
  • Pet a pet. Whether an old dog, a puppy, a cat, or a kitten I love to pet pets. It’s soothing. And dogs, especially old, faithful dogs just have a way of making things feel better.

What do you do to improve your mood? Leave a comment and let me know.

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