Last week I got my garmin cadence sensor in the mail. I was terribly excited with this toy, although I wasn’t exactly sure what I was to do with it.
A few of my twitter friends, @melissabernais and @paulmoneysmith, sent me some links, from which I learned that a biking cadence of 80-90 is ideal, and that biking at 70 is roughly the equivalent of running an 8 minute mile. I found that particularly interesting, as I seem pretty comfortable biking at 70, and my marathon PR is an 8mm.
Today I set out with Melissa for a ride, with the goal to try to get stay in this 80-90 range. I tend to cycle on a harder gear so that I feel the resistance, but then I am not able to sustain it. I hoped that by forcing a faster turnover I would naturally gear down.
I will admit I’m a bit confused about some of what I’ve read about fast-twitch vs slow-twitch muscle fibers. I have always associated fast-twitch fibers as those used by sprinters or short distance runners. As an endurance athlete, I use more slow-twitch fibers. I’ve always made the natural association that fast-twitch = fast turnover, slow-twitch=slower turnover. Yet in an article I read last night about cycling cadence, it stated that it was the fast-twitch fibers that were recruited during times when you were using more power (i.e. harder gear, slower cycling).
I suppose it does make sense when you consider that sprinters have absolutely explosive leg power, but it still seems like the definitions don’t line up.
Every week when I’m out with Melissa I tell her I need to just practice my leg turn-over, with no resistance. Yet to some extent I can’t help but wonder if that means I’m not really leveraging the power I have in my legs from thousands of miles of running. Although perhaps I need to look at it the other way: this cycling will help my running, if not the other way around..
Andrea: Glad to see you’re having fun with your new toy! You might want to talk to a coach about how to use the cadence sensor for your training goals. They’re going to ask if you want improve your marathon running, your duathlons or if you want to focus on cycling. Your answer would help explain the type of training you’d need to do and how the gadgets would give you helpful feedback.
The next toy on your list will be a powertap. It’s a device that measures the power wattage you’re generating while riding the bike. The holy grail of training then becomes trying to generate the maximum wattage possible at your body’s threshold level (roughly, your maximum heart rate before going anaerobic). In theory, you can ride “forever” as long as you don’t go past threshold; the goal then becomes generating as much power as possible at that precise level. Sort’ve like the speed you drive your car to get the optimal miles-per-gallon. Cadence is a means to an end with the “end” being power output. While cadence is interesting, it totally varies depending on terrain, wind, etc. I guess my point is that this stuff is pretty complicated. Talking to a coach or a personal trainer is super helpful and not terribly expensive. And at the end of the day, having fun is the most important thing. Leave all the gadgets off once in a while and just enjoy the fresh air…….;->
Hi, I’m going to see Ultramarathon Man tonight, too! In NYC. Hope you enjoy it! Take care and follow me @marathoner if you’d like. Best,
Mark