MFP Spitfires Cycling Club Week 10!!!

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  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    We're now beginning week 13!!!
    Last week's mileage goal: 65
    Actual: 77

    This week's pledge: 65m
    Happy pedaling, everyone!!! :drinker:
  • prayerfulmom
    prayerfulmom Posts: 409
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    ok, I signed up for a century 10/17; I must be crazy. I've done 63 miles already so I'm going to change my pledge from 75 to 100.
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    The computer on my exercise bike is wacked!

    My wife had some knee surgery today, so I am doing the stay at home dad/husband thing this week. As a result I don't have my normal commute, nor do I have any personal cycling time. I did get to the park with my son today and we did the 10 mile MUP together, but since he isn't quite 8 years old yet it isn't exactly a challenging ride for me, even if I take the mountain bike.

    So, to get my miles and time in I plugged in the exercise bike I used to use all the time until I got into good enough shape to ride outdoors without killing myself. I rode for 30 minutes at an intensity of 14 out of 20. I noticed some interesting things though.

    The most obvious was my 'speed'. It never changed. My cadence was steady the whole time, even if I varied the resistance intensity from 14 down to 11 or up to 17. So, regardless of what the intensity was, which to me would represent a higher gear on a real bicycle, it reported the same speed. Since the speed never varied, 'distance' was also calculated rather linearly. I was given a 14mph speed the entire ride, no matter what.

    The funniest thing about all this is that if I had ridden with that intensity for 30 minutes I would have been averaging a speed somewhere in the mid-twenties on my road bike. My normal cruising speed is somewhere around 18 to 20 mph (not up steep hills obviously).

    Anyway, how demoralizing that would be for someone actually using those numbers. I seriously busted my hump for 30 minutes. According to that computer I burned exactly 200 calories.

    On MFP, 30 minutes of under 10mph cycling, recreational, at my weight is estimated at 189 calories. At 16-19mph, the highest scale I have on my exercise list, it is 566 calories. I know I worked harder than that because I know the effort it takes to go that speed on an actual bike.

    So, I am ranting, and none of this really matters in the grand scheme of things, but one would think a widget like that would be more accurate.
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    Have you considered getting a trainer, so you can just set up your road bike on it and use that computer? That's what I do. I attatched my sensor to the back wheel so I can log trainer miles :happy:
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    I actually have thought of that, but there isn't anything mechanically wrong with this stationary bike. It is very smooth and easy to use, just horribly inaccurate.

    In the end it really doesn't matter. Exercise is exercise.
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    In the end it really doesn't matter. Exercise is exercise.

    True. Plus you've been at it long enough that you can take a pretty good guess at what you're actually burning. :wink:
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    I have an opportunity to ride with Greg LeMond on Saturday. Of course, my wife just had surgery so heading out for a full day of bike riding while she is stuck at home isn't going to be politically feasible for me.

    I may have to just swing by on my LeMond road bike and get him to sign it for me, then just go home and not ride ;)
  • prayerfulmom
    prayerfulmom Posts: 409
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    5 flats in 2 weeks:explode: I have gator skin tires and inserts. I may have to try the armadillo. I'm not ready to stop ridding but all these flats are just killing me!
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    5 flats in 2 weeks:explode: I have gator skin tires and inserts. I may have to try the armadillo. I'm not ready to stop ridding but all these flats are just killing me!

    Tis the season. Around here the weeds we call 'goat heads' are everywhere. Anyone riding without a spare tube, tire levers, and a pump, is destined to be walking along and pushing their bike before the day is finished.
  • prayerfulmom
    prayerfulmom Posts: 409
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    I can't tell you how many people I rescue. Usually the one's out for a leisure ride. Those of us who ride regularly know better.

    Off to the hills to see what I got myself into for this century. I'm a terrible hill climber. If only I could shed some more weight I do know it would help. Its such a fine balance to stay fueled on the bike for performance yet eat little enough to lose weight. :sad:
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    Funny you mention the delicate fuel balance. I have plateaud for the past almost four weeks now. What did I change? I started riding MORE miles. Of course, I also got sluggish, so I had to start eating more food. When your commute clocks in at over 18 miles, and four of those are up a serious hill, you can't be running a high calorie deficit or you just don't survive the week.

    I will get it figured out again. Luckily though, I have lost enough already that it really doesn't matter a whole lot. I have to admit that I would love to be weighing in under 200 pounds though. That is less than 10 pounds away, but the way things have been going it feels like an impossible goal. I am not about to stop or cut back on the riding just to lose weight, though I know I could drop all the extra weight I want in less than two weeks now if I really made a concerted effort.
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    Well, actual miles last week was 76.62. I did some miles on the exercise bike since I was stuck a bit due to the wife's surgery, but I am not sure how to count those so I am just leaving them out of the whole thing.

    Back to the grind this week, and my commute is going to be 24 miles round trip this week due to some bridge construction forcing me to take a longer route. I should easily hit my 100 miles for this week.
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    We're in week 14!!!
    I was sick for part of the week , so I didn't make my goal of 65. Actual 39m
    Pledge this week 65.
    Happy pedaling, everyone!! :drinker:
  • prayerfulmom
    prayerfulmom Posts: 409
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    pleade- changed from 75 to 100
    actual- 160.47 mi :noway:

    Those flat tires didn't derail me today. Went to those darn hills and I really need to be doing a lot more hill work. They kicked my behind.

    dlestermfp-I eat higher on my weekend long rides. then I still have a bit left in my take for speed work my first day back to work. then the rest of the week i figure i can get in slow miles and keep the calories low. Its amazing that it can have a 5mph difference in my commute. I can do it though because I have a flat route.

    skywalker-hope your 100%

    I'm gonna pledge 100 miles this week. It is suppose to be cooling down. Its been 100.
  • prayerfulmom
    prayerfulmom Posts: 409
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    Oh high winds and sprinkles today made for a more challenging ride to work.
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    My 'normal' commute is about 6 miles each way.

    That hasn't been what I have been riding lately though. In anticipation of a bridge closure (a bridge I use daily), I have been riding the long way home, which doubles the distance. So, I have been doing an 18 mile daily commute where I used to be doing 12 miles.

    But, today was the first day the bridge was closed. That puts me at a 24 mile commute each day, with today being the first day. I am hoping I hold out ok since I was ramping up the past few weeks. It does take quite a bit longer to commute now though. Whenever they finish painting the bridge and it reopens, which is some five months from now, the commute to work will feel like a short jaunt.
  • prayerfulmom
    prayerfulmom Posts: 409
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    dlestermfp- nice commute miles. way to take advantage of the closure.

    My shortest commute is 24 miles. I changed my route for safety reasons so it is now either 28 or 32 depending on which route I take. I only work 4 days a week so my goal is to ride at least 3 of those days. We'll see how I do as the weather changes. I rode yesterday in high winds and sprinkles.
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    I have been commuting on my bike every day for around 18 months now. I don't take te car unless I really have no choice, and that is less than once a month.

    I have to confess though, my legs are feeling the extra miles. My speed to/from work today was 1mph less than it was on Monday and Tuesday. They just don't have it in them to crank harder. My big hill on the way home is really making them burn.

    Only two days left this week, so I am going for it.
  • dlestermfp
    dlestermfp Posts: 106
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    Well, 117.76 for the week. Would have been more, but they opened the bridge early this week so I didn't have the longer commute.

    Still only going for 100 per week though.
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    Last week's pledge 65miles
    Actual 68m

    Still battling a nasty cold last week and hoping for more miles this week. My weight loss has slowed a lot since I dropped my mileage down to do more strength training.

    We're starting Week 15!!!
    I'm pledging 100m this week!

    dlester & prayerfulmom,
    Sounds like you guys have been doing great! It seems our club is getting smaller and smaller. :frown: Hopefully, some of the others will be back again. I plan on sticking around. :happy:

    Happy pedaling!!! :drinker:

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