Comparing Data With Garmin Training Center

Yesterday was the 2010 AIDS Ride for Life century, and it was probably the best day I ever spent in the saddle. I'm savoring my memories and am waiting a few days for more photos before I post a complete report. In the meantime, I'm posting one photo of me at the finish at Cass Park with no explanations, other than to say that I'm not the guy in front. That's Hank and...wait, I told you I'm not sharing my report right now, so instead, I'll just string you along with some data analysis.

Not too long ago, Garmin came out with version 3 of its Garmin Training Center software, which I use to import data from my Garmin Edge, retrieve data, and export to the TCX format for subsequent import into RideWithGPS. Anyway, without getting too technical, I've been really appreciating a new feature of the Garmin Training Center software. Since I habitually take the same training routes frequently, now the software allows me to compare data from one ride to another to see where my speed increased or decreased along the route. This is very helpful when you're trying to improve your performance, since you can really pinpoint parts of the ride where you want to improve.

Here's what a comparison looks like. This is my latest workout/commute up Remington, Sunset, Oakcrest and Triphammer, then down Asbury to East Shore Drive. Notice that the elevation profile is virtually identical (discrepancies are caused by GPS margin of error), while the speeds in different sectors are clearly different. The blue line represents today's ride, while the red line represents my ride on September 8th. First of all, today I was .3 mph faster than on 9/8. I'm guessing that after a fantastic century followed by a relaxing rest day, I'm riding stronger. Also, you'll notice that my speeds on the East Shore Drive flats today were somewhat slower than on 9/8, and this is partly due to a generous tailwind last week that wasn't there today.

So there you have it—data analysis got even more fun. If I had a Garmin with heartrate, that would be even cooler. I still can't justify the the price, however.

First Ringwood Climb of the Year

After a fun father and son ride in Varna today, I was lucky enough to get my first 2-hour ride in for the year. This is a ride that I dream about, and sometimes lull myself to sleep thinking about. It's familiar territory if you've been reading this blog since last fall when I started this blogging adventure, and it will likely remain my favorite ride for years to come. There's plenty of climbing challenges, stunning scenery, and opportunity for reverie and reflection without having to think about traffic, particularly in Lansing and nearing Groton.

Random Observations:

• The street cleaners have already made a pass or two on Triphammer and Rt. 34 in Lansing.
• There are lots of deer carcasses of various vintages littering the culverts in particular.
• People who drink Arizona brand beverages disproportionately litter the highways.
• A car filled with Cornell undergrads think that there's nothing funnier than screaming really loud at cyclists as they pass within inches. (I know where you live, boys. Funny, I saw them all load into the car and just had this intuition that they would do such a thing, and I kept waiting for them to pass.)
• I didn't see a single road biker today on my ride. Puzzling...

I'm feeling pretty strong today, even though Ringwood really presented a challenge, especially the final 250 ft. Fairly brisk North winds also presented a challenge on the homestretch on Rt. 79.

Stats:

Distance: 38.97 miles

Avg. speed: 18.4 mph

Vertical ascent: 2500 ft.

Avg. heart rate: 142 bpm

Calories burned: 2041 kcal

Max. speed: 41.2 mph

Time: 2:07:10

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Last Minute Ride and Tread Issues

It was an off kilter day, with one boy in survival mode after a nasty tummy bug, and half the family awake through most of the night and stumbling through the morning. Luckily I at least got some sleep. Though I wasn't planning on riding today, two days of rest had me itching to go.

Somehow the inevitable rain was slow to arrive, so I hopped on my trusty ride for a quick Lansing climb. What lucky timing! The gusts in Lansing nearly knocked me off the bike, and halfway to Searles Rd., I started to get pelted with rain. Fortunately the heavy rain held off long enough to not make the final descent too worrisome, especially considering the state of my rear tire. It was one of those memorable rides that almost didn't happen, and turned out to be a pretty fun and intense ride, battling fierce winds and rapidly changing weather conditions. It was gratifying to see the odometer click up to 105 miles...good to be ahead of my expected pace for this time in the year.

This pattern of tire wear is partly the result of just so many miles on hill climbs and spinning my rear tire on some climbs. The trainer did equal parts damage as well, and I was waiting to replace the rear tire until indoor cycling season was clearly over.

After a thorough cleaning, I struggled mightily with the cursed new rear tire, and kept pinching my superlight butyl tubes. Three patches and two wicked thumb blood blisters later, the bike is ready to go again. Sometimes I feel like a total fool when I keep messing up a simple tire and tube change. You'd think I'd learn something after so many years of this, but these Vreds are such a tight fit.

Stats:

Distance: 20.07 miles

Avg. speed: 18.7 mph

Vertical ascent: 967 ft.

Calories burned: 1103 kcal

Max. speed: 33.5 mph

Time: 1:04:28

Odometer: 105 miles

Cool, gusty, rainy Lansing loop

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Remington Rd. Hillclimb, Ithaca (video)

Remington Rd. Hill Climb, Ithaca NY from Armin Heurich on Vimeo.

For cyclists looking for a great hill climb in the finger lakes region, this is one of my favorites. This route takes you on a 600 ft. vertical ascent in just under 2 miles, with twisty, well-maintained low-traffic roads and great views of Cayuga lake. It's also the most stealth exit from Ithaca to surrounding towns of Lansing and Dryden, where cycling can't be beat. I shot the footage from a car, and slowed the video down to simulate cycling speeds.


I shot the video footage in the fall of '09, at the tail end of a great cycling season. It's taken me a while to finally edit this together, and I'm hoping that it serves as inspiration for you cyclists waiting for the road biking season to begin. 

The Season That Never Ends

It was a bit too chilly for my before-work circuitous commute/workout, a 10-mile climb up through Cornell and Community Corners to the airport and back down again. The weather forecast was promising, however. It was 35 degrees when I headed off to school, but it was 60 degrees when I left work! Indian summer days like this are magical, and it the gloomiest of late winter days, it's really hard to imagine that days like this even exist.

I managed to get a 15 mile ride in, my favorite quick loop up to Terpening Corners via Remington, Oakcrest and Triphammer and down Rt. 34, the best descent close to downtown. What a gift! It was also my first ride with my Polar heartrate cyclocomputer. I don't know yet where I really should be, but I averaged 150 bpm for a 42 minute ride.