Sunday is family ride day, so I dragged the kids around BWI airport on the bike trail (10 miles or so). Doesn't sound much, but when you're riding a 30lb squishy bike, and the kids/trailer combo is at least 60lb, it adds up to a pretty good resistance workout.....

http://minemapper.smugmug.com/photos/73542464-M.jpg

Then I took the boy (3.5 yrs) down to Fort McHenry so that he could ride his brand new 'twowheeler' around the trail there, while his sister and I chased him with the trailer in stroller mode...

http://minemapper.smugmug.com/photos/85933719-M.jpg



Knary, I hope your friend recovers fully, and that they prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, the asshat who did that to her. That kind of incident is the #1 reason that I very rarely ride road anymore. Just too many times that I could have been her.

Having all your front teeth and being concious is sooooo highly overrated.
:lol2

I am trying to lower my resting heart rate. Right now at age 49, my max HR is 171, several times a week I go over that for short periods, either in spin class or on a ride. I go to a spin class 2-3 times per week, and commute 8 miles round trip 4 days a week, and usually one long ride a week, maybe 30-40 miles. The lowest my RHR has ever been is 58. I wear a HR monitor to spin class and on long rides and try to stay in the 140-160 range.

Any opinions, or tips would be appreciated.

I remember reading 70-80% is a good spin. Would put you @ 119.7 - 136.8
Nothing wrong with pushing 100%, increases recovery time IMO though.
Most times I hit 100% after jumping on the bike, very close to good single track.
I either bonk eventualy on the trail & swim, or lower speed & press on.

PS.

We really could use a pedal forum here. Put it to vote?

:dunno

As I understand it, your resting heart rate isn't a great indicator of health and fitness. If it's high, that does say something, but if it's down in a healthy range, no matter how much you push it, it may never go down. Instead of focusing on that, watch the speed of your recovery to measure your fitness.

Thanks for the input. Generally speaking I am back down under 100 within a couple of minutes of being at the max. I'll start watching that.

If I were to use my resting heart rate as a measure, I'll have always been in great shape as it's almost always around 57. It was 57 when I was pudgy and sedentary, and it's 57 now (riding a generally hilly 100 to 150+ miles/week)

The helmet looks a little loose. If he does a face plant (and we all do) it will move back and his forehead will hit the pavement. I found the best time to fit the little people is when they are glued to the TV. They don't even know you are doing it.

Front teeth are overrated. :nah

DAMHIK what pavement tastes like. :baldy

M

RHR is so individual that you can't really use it as a predictor for 'being in shape.' Miguel Indurain's RHR was somewhere near 33. When I was racing more, mine was ~38 if I was recovered. The ex's was in the 60s. 'Course, she'd go over 200bpm without breathing hard too, but that's another story.

What RHR is useful for is determining when you are and are not recovered enough to do that next interval/sprint/hard effort session. If yer RHR is up in the AM, may wanna back off a bit that day and see 'cause yer not rested from the day before.

HTH,

M

You're right, it was. I fixed it, and the next day his sister threw it under the van, where it waited for me to squish it as we rolled out. He's got a brand new one waiting in the box for me to fit tonight......

Have you flipped the trailer with the kids in it yet? I didn't think it was possible, but it is. SWMBO was NOT amused.

I'm betting he paid her to do it.

It WAS last year's helmet after all!

M

I learn something new from my kids every day.....:evil

A better indicator of fitness than RHR is your lactic threshold. That's the highest HR you can maintain that allows the lactic acid to be flushed as fast as its being produced (basically).

At 38 y.o. I have a RHR of 40, a max of about 182, and a lactic threshold of about 155-160. In other words, I can sustain a workout intensity with a rate of 155-160 for hours. (not bragging, just an example)

Oh, and I won my mountain bike race yesterday.:D (now I'm bragging)