How to pace myself?
Originally Posted by
curttard
I never really have any clue how I should pace myself for Max efficiency. I'm not racing or anything, strictly a recreational rider, but if I could use less effort on my rides or the same effort but more speed or distance, that would obviously be a good thing.
Should I be taking advantage of flats and downhills by pushing it, since I'll be inevitably be creeping up hills? Or should I take advantage of them by taking it relatively easy and saving my energy for the hills?
Originally Posted by
jadocs
Sounds like you could benefit from using a Power Meter.
Originally Posted by
TimothyH
Or a heart rate monitor
FWIW, I have developed my own personal training program,
as a strictly recreational rider, that for me is a good way to pace and improve myself:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
About two weeks ago I described a new training routine for myself combining a well-established
Ten Week Century Training Schedule (link) of daily mileage goals with a personalized intensity scale based on
”Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE).”
My basic premise was that I wanted to get significantly fit, within a busy work/family time-crunched life, but not suffer so much that I would abandon the program.
I do have the advantages of a very nice minimum 14 mile one way commute that is easily extended; and a high end, very comfortable carbon fiber road bike that encourages riding.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I’m a 40+ year cyclist and I ride mainly for fitness.
My training tool is the Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale, and I use cadence to chose gears to maintain my desired exertion.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
This year though, I decided to go for speed (intensity), and I use the semi-quantitative, standardized, but personally relavant system of
The Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutriti...ce/borg-scale/
with my own particular adaptation.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
The RPE scale ranges from 6 to 17, with descriptions of the intensity. Multiply the RPE by 10 is the approximate heart rate. Jim's scale is the equivalent on a 0 to 100 scale, easier to think about:
RPE = 6, resting... Jim's scale = 10 to 20
RPE = 7, very, very light... Jim's scale = 20 to 30
RPE = 9, very light... Jim's scale = 30 to 40
11, fairly light...50 (my usual happy-go-lucky pace without thinking about it)
13, somewhat hard...60 (I have to focus to maintain)
15, hard...70 (I start breathing hard at about 30 seconds)
17, very hard (lactate threshold; breakpoint between hard but steady
breathing and labored with gasping)...80 (my predicted max HR)
19, very, very hard...90 to 100.
My basic training is to ride at my RPE of 50% for six miles to warm up, then cruise at an RPE of 60%, and do intervals (on hills) at 70%. I try to change gears to maintain a cadence of about 85-90 rpm on flats and rolling hills, and about 60 to 80 rpm on harder hills, to maintain my RPE.
Shift up to higher gears as the cadence rises, and shift down as the RPE increases.