Prius vs Hummer

I've been very busy with work, training and household chores that I haven't had time to update. Last week, I kept up with all the training although I had to catch up on my swims during the weekend. This past Saturday, I road my bike 30 miles followed by a 40 minute swim workout. On rainy Sunday, I completed a 60-minute speed interval on my trainer followed by a 55 minute run.

Trainer rides make up a good portion of the early season bike program because it is consistent, repeatable and can be done when it's raining cats and dogs outside. Also, the variables of traffic lights and road hazards are removed so we can focus more on the specific workout. Specific pedaling drills are best done when stability is highest, like when the wheel is locked in the trainer.

On Sunday morning, I finally got a chance to set-up on my rear wheel and pedal the gadget I ordered to monitor my cadence on the trainer using my Garmin Forerunner. The gadget worked perfectly for this workout! I warmed up 10 minutes in the middle chain ring. The main workout was to practice speed intervals maintaining 95RPM for 3 minutes followed by 90 seconds at 80RPM while using my hardest gear possible maintaining RPM and aerobic heart rate zone. I repeated this drill 8 times. Even though it was 42F outside, I still had a puddle of sweat on my porch. Immediately following this 60 minute workout, I ran for 55 minutes and felt great.

Coach explained that it is very important to stay aerobic in the base phase and not anaerobic (higher heart rate). "Think of your body as a motor vehicle. you have a finite amount of gas that will fit in your tank. On a long day like Ironman, what would you rather be, a Hummer or a Toyota Prius? If you train aerobically (lower Heart Rate), you are training like a Prius. If you train Anaerobically (higher heart rate), you are training like a Hummer. You see, in the presence of Oxygen (Aerobic training) your body can convert one molecule of glucose into 36 molecules of ATP. In the absence of oxygen (anaerobic training) your body can only produce 2 molecules of ATP from that same molecule of glucose. We train at level 5-6 to increase your body's aerobic capacity and get it used to going long and steady, just like you will on race day."

I hope to run efficiently like a Prius by next August.