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Alright! It's been a month and a half, and my sustainable cadence has reached the 80's! If I sit up in my "regular out-for-a-spin-with-the-guys" drafting position, I can even hold the high 80's rather easily. My max cadence is above 130, and I'm beginning to get bored on my trainer instead of humilitated! Whenever I get a bit too cocky, though, I just drop down in an aero position, and within 30 seconds the humility comes back.
Still, I'm really surprised at the progress. I keep resisting the urge to put my regular cranks back on for a real-world TT "test". It would be nice to know what I can do compared to last year...but, Dr. Day hasn't steered me wrong to this point, so, I'm fighting that urge and sticking to the plan. So far, since using PC's my run times have decreased, my complexion has developed a nice glow, I received a Humanitarian award, small children and dogs run to me, and I'm dropping my training partner like a bad habit. I kind of like the first and last things...
Hang in there, you other newbies...it's worth the work. I can hardly wait to see what else happens the next month.
Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)
that you could be doing those regular time-trials on the PC's and watch the progress. Screw the regular cranks (for now, anyhow).
What you can do in speed (when you are trying) is much more important than what cadence you can hold. Cadence is a measure or real adaptation but speed is what you are after.
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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
Yes, I could be doing the tt's now, but, not in an aero position. Still, your point is well taken; I could be at least monitoring the progression in speed increases. It's just a bit too cool most of the time for me to be out on the "real-world" course. Resistance trainer tt's will have to do. I'll start doing them and recording what I find.
I know cadence isn't the true measure of speed, but I'm fairly sure that being in the 80's will be better for me during races than being stuck at 70. At this point in my changing pedaling styles, while on the trainer; speed is greater at the same heartrate when my cadence reaches about 80. Higher than 80, my heartrate begins to creep up without increased speed. Pre-PC, I found this to be true at cadences of about 90-95.
I also know that top cadence has just about zero to do with triathlon racing...it just shows me that my hip flexors are, indeed, capable of lifting my legs much more quickly than they could before. Top speed on my resistance trainer in a 53X14 has climbed to 40.5mph now...not a significant number by itself, just something I use to compare to earlier attempts...when I started out doing this, I was only in the low 30's. It is really more a measure of top cadence available under a load. If I were road racing, it might have some real significance.
And, I am resisting the urge to tinker with regular cranks to see what would happen. Like I said, you haven't steered me wrong yet! I especially liked your advice to stay on the PC's and not run so much...it really turned out to be good for my 1/2 marathon run. Thanks again!
Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)
Nice going KT, you're kicking my but. Still cruising in the high 60's low 70's, but having a blast doing it.
aero position, it will come. Would you rather look like a nerdy beginner and fly by people or look fast and go slow?
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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
Last edited by:
Frank Day: Feb 8, 03 14:49
I "Nerdied" right by a group of 3 riders at 28mph last week...I had a tailwind, so sitting up didn't slow me down. I actually felt a little sorry for them...that's never happened to me before...feeling sorry for someone I'm passing. But, you could tell they were out for maybe their first ride since last fall (it was a beautiful 55 degree day!). I really wasn't trying to blow past them, I was just riding at my aero HR.
After my hour on the trainer this am, I ran 8 this afternoon. Thanks to Dr. Francois' suggestion (PC'er extraodinare), I shortened my stride and avoided the hamstring tightening I had been getting. And, I ran 2 minutes faster than the last time I ran this route. AFTER my morning ride. I think my calves are beginning to catch up to my hip flexors, because my calves didn't ever hurt, either. Previously, I think the PC's allowed my hip flexors to work better when running and when I was tired...so my calves were the weakest point then. Now, they're catching up.
I'll stay nerdy for now, and I know aero will come. Will I need to get some space shuttle tiles for my helmet when I get up to top speed? I'll know in a year or two, right?
Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)
If I recall correctly you earlier indicated that you were doing MAP in Charlotte. I would be interested in catching up with you there to talk about the PCs. I have taken a totally different approach during a similar time of usage, e.g. since Christmas (non-exclusive use, 90 RPM, 2x week usage, now up to 45minutes which is as long as I ever ride the trainer anyway). Your profile does not indicate who you are. I am in 40-44 and indicated a 6:40 swim. If interested e-mail me. jhblackwel@aol.com
I had a problem with my PC bike so I can't ride for a week so I decided I would run a abit more and get in a extra swim. This lasted until yesterday when I could no longer resist, I rode on regular cranks. I had been on my PC's for about three months and this was my first venture on regular cranks since then. The first impression was great, not so much because of the cranks but with the quality of my bike vs my PC bike.
I didn't have my speedo or cadence hooked up so I riding flying blind. After about ten minutes my lower quads were fatiguing quite rapidly at which point I realized I was not pedaling PC style. I made a mental adjustment and was soon spinning better circles. ( I can now see why Frank wants you to ride them exclusively). And the fatigue in the quads went away. Mean time one of my big worries was the aero position. All my PC rides were done close to straight up.I was completely comfortable in the aero position and experience no extra fatigue. My final time for my ride was similar to my best from before. I was actually a bit faster and I faded a bit at the end on the final climb home. One reason could be was that all my PC rides are aerobic and this was LT. And my overall mileage is still lower. Also I was substantialy faster on regular cranks then on my PC's about 10%
Joe
i think my initial ride results were similar to xshufflers. that being, upon riding regular cranks i was not appreciably faster on the road after 10 weeks. i WAS riding the same speed at notably less PE and HR, tho - on the line of 15 BPM. and, like xshuffler i had to sort of concentrate to ride PC style. if i lapsed on this my HR would climb and my quads tire. i could hold a steady speed and alternate between PC style and "old" style pedalling and watch my HR fall and rise respectively. i saw it as a pure technique issue, enabled by the coordination and musculature developed by the PC riding. if i tried to speed up, this coordination would falter, and my PE would climb disproportionally to the speed increase. this would be distressing, but for the fact that in tri you still have to run. i saw being able to employ a new style of pedalling to acheive the same speed at 15 BPM less over 112 miles as pretty significant. and, this was still in the first couple months - according to guys with more time on them like goatboy and francois there is more to come - like a speed increase, too. this is in line with what i feel as i continue to use them. it is fun and, in my experience very much inprecedented as a riding sensation. :)
what cranks you have on your bike if you pedal in the PC style,other than your bike/rider combo will weigh a little more with PC's. The problem is, can you pedal the PC style all the time with regular cranks without thinking about it? Probably, but it may take years to get to that point. Exactly why people are considering racing on them. You don't have to worry how you are pedaling. It is why, if you are going to race on regular cranks I recommend that you set your countdown timer to alarm every 10 minutes or so to remind you to assess how you are pedaling during the race.
Frank
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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
mr day. yeah right. "set my countdown timer" you say. even if i could figure out how to do that i am pretty sure i would never get the dang watch to where it simply told me the time (!). i think i will just ride the PC's more, it is easier.
Tim, do you remember when you thought you would never say that riding PC's were "easier"?! You've come a LONG way.....
Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)