----illustrated by heart rate monitoring
Riding heart rate(HR)indicates the intensity and effort of the action.
During the ride when you feel slightly sweating and faster breathe while still with easy chatting, you are probably in HR Zone 2/3 (defined in [1]); while hard effort with fast and deep breathe can only last says, 20 minutes or so, you are mostly like entry the heart rate Zone 4; whereas when you are pushing your limit to burst you energy as hard as you can, you are surely in Zone 5 or above.
Some sportive cyclists including myself's ride patterns usually focus on an easy endurance ride, sportive group ride, and high-intensity training ride. Those ride patterns can be perfectly illustrated by heart rate monitoring.
Easy endurance ride
Endurance ride or base training is the name given to the training that teaches your body to utilize oxygen as efficiently as possible, usually, it need very long and slow[2], it's the art of ride slow.[3]
The following chart was my more than two hours rode with friends, easy pace at speed 24 kph and my HR about 140 bpm. seems slightly lower the heart rate and more efficient the better purpose served. and when the duration prolongs, it might be not easy anymore, and that's the capability need build on this ride pattern.
Anyways, it can be a pleasant recreational ride, go to the city and country, stop at a town, smell the roses.
with the solid base, it's quite interesting to ride with a sportive group. Essentially cycling is "a group sport for individual".(from movie. <slaying the badger>)
Although the cruising speed roughly same,in the following 130k sportif group ride instance, the HR distribution varies in different time and location. With average speed 32kph and average HR below 150, which still in zone 3 range. But in the 50k-60k location, the HR went up to 170-180, It because during such time was riding in front and pulling the group keeping the decent speed. pulling in front in turns is the key to a long and fast ride with group riders.
More interesting,from 80k to 100k location,the group ride became race, with breakaway and chase, the HR here was between 170 - 190 which is actually jump into Zone 4 and Zone 5. this section was on 5th line I attacked on the slight upslope and the rest group responded immediately, I did a solo breakaway for 3 or 4 kilometres before absorbed by first chase group at the end. It is great fun occasionally happens in the last part of the sportive group ride and it's a great way make we stronger .
Although the cruising speed roughly same,in the following 130k sportif group ride instance, the HR distribution varies in different time and location. With average speed 32kph and average HR below 150, which still in zone 3 range. But in the 50k-60k location, the HR went up to 170-180, It because during such time was riding in front and pulling the group keeping the decent speed. pulling in front in turns is the key to a long and fast ride with group riders.
More interesting,from 80k to 100k location,the group ride became race, with breakaway and chase, the HR here was between 170 - 190 which is actually jump into Zone 4 and Zone 5. this section was on 5th line I attacked on the slight upslope and the rest group responded immediately, I did a solo breakaway for 3 or 4 kilometres before absorbed by first chase group at the end. It is great fun occasionally happens in the last part of the sportive group ride and it's a great way make we stronger .
The sportive group touring , with comrades, we cooperate and compete.
Gatineau park 42 k classic loop is conditional training yard for Ottawa cyclists. There is close road UCI race ride on Tuesday evening, famous Bike and Beer club intensive climbing training ride (A/B group) on Wednesday evening and many others.
It's the best effort group ride that the fastest rider defines pace, the choice is only leading the pace, or best effort follows the pace, or dropped but worked with others to chase back or just do as hard as you can to solo ride back.
The chart is an instance of my such ride, only slightly more than 5 minutes warm up. Heard rate has been sustaining 170 - 180 (zone 4 to zone 5)for one hour. also need carefully preserve not go beyond Zone 5 ( > 190 my this case), would be got dropped in recovery phase otherwise. B&B B group usually finish loop at speed 32-34kph. A group at 34-36 kph, UCI race group 36-40 kph. World-famous professional racers Mike woods, Matteo Dal-cin participate on Tuesday UCI race ride.
And most Ottawa racers regularly ride here with this way, weeks after weeks, years after years.
It can be clearly seen the fact -- the only way make you stronger is just to work harder.
However, sometimes I just think, riding is not just a training for the physical and mantel strongness, It also gives me the wings, like an eagle, with which, I fly far and high, for distance and freedom.
