Diving Helmet-First into Cycling

Apparently I'm a cyclist now

That is, in addition to being a runner first and foremost.

I just got my new bike a little over 3 weeks ago, and in the last 2 weeks I have really been getting out on it.  Here is what my workouts have looked like for the last week:

• Monday: 55 minute spin class (call that ~16 miles @ average speed of 18 MPH)
• Tuesday: 20 mile group ride
• Wednesday: 25 mile hill ride
• Thursday: (Rest)
• Friday:14 miles easy (to and from work)
• Saturday: my first Metric Century! ~100km (62.1 miles)
• Sunday: 58 mile easy ride

195 Miles in a week.  That feels solid for starters.  

I've been trying to figure out a formula to translate cycling into running fitness.  Long story short, there isn't one, but there are some theories on it.  One place I read said that the time you spend cycling is equivalent to about 2/3 of that time running.  For instance, if you bike for 3 hours (say, roughly 55 miles) you could think of that as a 2 hour run (probably around 15 miles).  Another idea is to look at the mileage at a 1/3 rate.  So, if you bike 60 miles you could equate that to a 20 mile run.  Or, lets look at last week, 195 miles, thats about 64 miles of running by this count (which is a reasonable sounding estimate).

Yet another theory is that as long as you can maintain a comparable heart rate while cycling the fitness is almost equivalent.  My resting heart rate is about 52 BPM (beats per minute), and I estimate my max at 195.   When I am on an LSD (long steady distance) run, my heart rate is usually in the 150-160 range.  On an easy bike ride ill stay below that, but in tough, strenuous sections I can average about 160 BPM.

I think the most accurate predictor is the 2/3 time rule.  If it isn't apparent yet, I also now understand why heart rate is much more important to monitor while cycling than running.  One thing is for sure, you can push your legs and cardio to the limit and not pay the same price as in running that - price being getting really banged up, sore, and risking injury.

Cycling also feels like a great tool for Ultra-Training, besides the low risk of injury, its all about just having to keep moving for many hours on end.  Eating and drinking are more important when riding (similar to in ultra-running) then during short road races or even marathons.

Just Ride

Number one rule on how to be a better cyclist: Just get out there and ride a lot.  There are other great ideas, like ride with group, pick a race to train for, and doing focused workouts, but the biggest thing is just ride.  Ride often.  Ride a lot.

Metric Century

Saturday morning I went out with the DC tri club's weekly ride based off a friend's recommendation.  We met in Georgetown at rolled out promptly at 7:30am.

Georgetown in Washington D.C., looking North from the intersection of
Wisconsin and M street.  This looks kind of boring since its empty at
7:20am on a Saturday, an extreme contrast to the typical mid-week gridlock.

We rode up to Potomac, Maryland where everyone started solidifying their options.  I ended up on a 45ish mile ride with 4 or 5 other guys, the "Senaca 'T' route" (see upper half of route below).  It was a blast!  Fast, and very hilly.  We averaged over 19 MPH during that portion.  Rather than spending well over 200 bucks on a GPS bike computer, I found a bracket from Garmin to fit my current running GPS device on my handlebars and voila!  I have bike GPS with elapsed time, heart-rate, distance, speed (in MPH), and more.

Taking a quick break at the small
Francis Scott Key Park in
Georgetown.  There is a water
fountain near by!

 I had only planned on getting in 45-50, but after arriving back in D.C. I was looking at about 50 miles so far for the day and decided I would take the long way home to get in 60.  I ended up with 62 miles, enough for my first Metric Century!  The ride time is super handy while I'm taking a break from running since I would normally be running with my Saturday Long Run group.  The only downside is that I won't be able to go when I do start back up with the running.  There are plenty of great Sunday morning rides though to keep me busy even when I am back to logging plenty of miles on foot.

And more for good measure

If the metric century wasn't enough I headed out to the country to get a ride in with my Dad for Father's Day.    The ride was more relaxed and not nearly as hilly as my ride with the flashy DC Tri club the previous day.  I was really able to appreciate the wide open roads and minimal stops to make along the way, not to mention the scenery.  Taking it easy was a must after the previous day's ride.  I was tired and a little sore, and needed to play it safe.  Luckily I had enough energy to hammer out the last 8 miles and get to enjoy a rest day today.

58 Miles, a solid ride but not as intense as Saturday.

This is the kind of scenery I've been missing!

So whats next?  I'm actually hoping to get back to running this week, targeting a Thursday Fun Run as of now, and keep up with my cycling groups during the rest of the week.  No idea what kind of shape my running is in, but man do I feel fit!