Yoga, Spinervals

Late afternoon

I recently got the P90X DVDs, but haven't really gotten around to use them. You need a little bit more than the "bare essentials" they boast one TV. Namely, a pullup bar, multiple dumbbell weights, and a yoga mat from what I've seen so far. I attempted the yoga routine that was demonstrated yesterday. A few surprising things I've learned:

1. Yoga is a strenuous exercise that raises your body temperature.
   
2. Don't perform yoga exercises when your joints are feeling sore in any way.
   
3. Get a yoga mat, because carpeting just doesn't cut it.
   

I tried yoga a few times in college. Our rowing coach at the time insisted, but I don't think too many people took it seriously when they saw the instructor he brought in. I don't really think anyone was concentrating too hard...Still, I got a pretty good sense of the effort level it demands, so I knew partially what I was getting into. I stopped after about a half hour due to sore joints and sore muscles. I'll give it another try this weekend.

Spinervals 1.0

I could tell about 10 minutes in that my body needed a rest. I made it through all the workout sets with the exception of the very last one, where I simply had to stop. I just couldn't keep my legs spinning. I pedaled easy for about 10 minutes and stopped it there.

About 38 minutes with an average HR of 140 BPM. That seems to be where my HR settles for all of these workouts. Odd.

Spinervals 2.0 Workout 24

This version is broken down into 3 separate ~40 minute workouts. Workout 2 consisted of some moderate tempo sessions, then several 100% effort 10 second intervals, with 50 seconds of rest. This was followed by several 40 second 100% intervals (last 10 seconds standing).

These workouts have made indoor training almost bearable. I can't imagine training in front of a TV or listening to music. These videos really have helped me work on training both muscles and nerve synapses for faster, more efficient pedaling.

Average heart rate was about 142 BPM for 40 minutes, with a max of about 175.

Testimonial over.

Spinervals 24.0 HILLacious

This workout was a bit longer than the others, coming in at just over an hour. I elevated my front wheel to simulate hill climbs and there is stayed for the entire workout. As far as I can remember, it went something like this:

2 X 8 minute steady efforts (AT effort)
Big chain ring, 15 on the back

4 X 3 minute rolling hill simulations
Big chain ring, but switching rear cogs every 5 seconds up and down

4 X 30 sec seated, 10 seconds standing (100% effort)
Big chain ring, 12 on the back

Workout comments: I definitely feel like I'm getting a lot of benefit out of these workouts. My cadence seems to be matching what the trainer is calling (my cadence meter battery is dead) and the effort level is close to what it should be, but my heart rate simply doesn't match what he is seeing on some of the athletes on the video. Granted, the video yesterday was being shot on a rooftop where the heat index was over 100 degrees, and I'm in my basement in the dead of winter with a fan blowing on me... Still, I seem to be on the ball mechanically and effort-wise, but my heart rate has been varying. I'll have to see if it gets better or worse as I get farther into the program.

Spinervals 9.0

Didn't exactly have enough time to finish this entire workout (2 hours), but got through at least 60 minutes. It included several 1 minute 100% efforts, and tempo ladder that started at 5 minutes and ended with a 1 minute all out effort, with 1 minute rest periods. These workouts are tougher than they feel, as indicated by my heart rate. I averaged about 150 for the whole hour, and that's including the rest periods sprinkled throughout.

Spinervals 2.0

Late afternoon

Spinervals (v2.0) session on the trainer today. Workout consists of a combination of intervals, both in easy and hard gears ranging anywhere from 20 seconds to two minutes in length with varying recoveries. It would be a pain to record each and every interval here.

Max heart rate obtained was 170 BPM, which is much higher than my perceived effort. I thought I cold only hit 160 on the bike.