Online Bike Coach

Where Cyclists and Triathletes get Faster/Stronger/Leaner/Sooner

DFAa1 Ride In the Evening – Did That Improve Monday Night’s Sleeping Pattern?

I Changed my Workout Schedule To An Afternoon DFAa1 Ride

Yesterday’s DFAa1 Ride occurred around 4pm. Normally, I ride in the late morning, but I have been multitasking on several fronts, and fell behind. I also did not get to enter in my 60 minutes, instead riding in the afternoon. This was also an attempt to determine whether an evening exercise bout would improve my sleep pattern.

The Rides this Fall are all about DFAa1. I use FatMaxxer software, broadcast from an Android phone to a PC screen, and either increase or decrease my intensity when cycling to try and stay between 0.75 DFAa1, and 1.00 DFAa1. Using this number, instead of watts, gives me a highly accurate, day-to-day method, of measuring intensity and optimizing my Aerobic Capacity.

Dfaa1
A Good Night’s Sleep can lead to a better BASE ride.

But I’m finding that a good ride requires a solid night’s rest. Monday evening’s ride actually did not go quite as well as I had hoped. The DFAa1 dipped “Below” 0.75 several times, and I also ran out of time. Therefore, the workout was just 45 minutes long, and the intensity was probalby too high.

But when bedtime came, I was pretty tired. I went to bed around 8:50pm, after a FULL meal of steak and sweet potatoes, and promptly passed out around 9:06pm. I had the Pink Noise generator on, and I had limited my alcohol intake to one glass of wine. I was hydrated, but tired. I ended up sleeping for FIVE STRAIGHT HOURS, which for me, is a recent record. But some time around 2:30am, I woke up, and did not get back to sleep until I had moved rooms, and changed beds. Then I slept for another few hours.

I am noticing a trend with this sleep; I get more DEEP sleep before I wake up, and I get more REM sleep after I fall asleep the second time. This may be anecdotal, but I do think the Pink Noise is helping. Now, I just need to get 7 or 8 straight hours of sleep.

The Garmin Connect platform is really interesting. I’m starting to understand it just a bit, but I’m going to keep working within that ecosystem of fitness, to explore features and become adept at the information it’s revealing.

Here’s the video. Thanks for reading, thanks for watching, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

If you are enjoying this series, BUY ME A CUPPA COFFEE! Buy Me A Coffee

What Does All The Data Say??

We Have to Look at the Holistic Picture.

I’ve been a Cycling Coach since September of 1993. I started with pace, then heart rate. In 1995 I bought my first CompuTrainer, and learned about LOAD. In 1998, I owned the world’s first TUNE powertap built for mountain bike rear wheel spacing. In 2004, I bought my first Suunto T6, and studied HRV from FirstBeat for two years. I ruined more Polar Power Units than anyone else, as I tried to get them on my clients’ bikes, as well as my own. Some of you know my history with ‘non-direct-force’ power ‘estimators’.

But we’ve come full circle.

Here’s the video analysis of today’s ride. I’m pretty impressed. The Vo2 data, Respiratory data, heart rate variability markers, and Smo2 markers, all agreed within 3 beats and 4 watts.

Today was a good day; I now know where my PHYSIOLOGICAL AEROBIC THRESHOLD is located, and I have a pretty decent idea of where my PHYSIOLOGICAL ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD is located. My numbers are down, for sure; my dormant summer due to bad air and extra houseguests left little time for training.

Today,

  1. My Heart Rate, per www.runalyze.com, told me to stay below 160bpm to improve my aerobic conditioning and optimize fat burning.
  2. My LEFT SHOULDER SMO2 told me to stay below 160bpm to improve my aerobic conditioning and optimize fat burning.
  3. My Right Vastus Medialis SMO2 meter told me to stay below 160bpm to improve my aerobic conditioning and optimize fat burning.
  4. The RESPIRATORY FREQUENCY on my Vo2master told me that my Aerobic Threshold was around 165bpm.
  5. An EWMA Wattage Flatline occurred at: 164bpm, 165 watts, and 38ml/kg/min on the Vo2.
  6. Ironically, DFAA1 of 0.5 occurred at: 175 BPM and just over 200 watts.

EVERYTHING is pointing towards an aerobic base of 160 bpm or less, and below 165 watts.

Let’s take this foundation, build upon it, and watch what happens along the way.

Here’s the link to my Google Drive Folder, so you can look at the same information and tease it out any way you wish.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

 

 

Let’s Start With An Assessment!

What Is My Current Fitness?

Get the Data
In God we Trust – All Others Provide DATA!

Stress is a horrible psychological state. It’s also chemical, and physical. Strain is the actual, physical manifestation of Stress. Think about it this way; Stress is your body, mind, and heart, looking at a hill, and saying… “I have to go climb THAT?!” And Strain is the actual GRIND as you stretch the chain with each revolution of your crank, the resistance of gravity and friction, as you heave yourself up that hill.

I’m not very fit right now. The Stresses and Strains of a summer spent in limbo as we feared for our community with fires, Covid-19, displaced relatives, and horrific air quality, as well as refugees, conspired to crowd our home, kill our ambition to ride (who wants to ride indoors in the summer?!) and focus myopically on income and survival.

But in late May, under the guidance of Coach Richard Collier, of London, and Dr. Bruce Rogers of Florida, I began to study, and then employ, the DFAA1 Collier Ramp Protocol, to study Heart Rate Variability, and assess Lower and Upper Thresholds via Cardiovascular activity.

I was so impressed with my own results that I implemented it on almost all of my clients. EACH AND EVERY ONE ENDED UP STRONGER, HEALTHIER, and LIGHTER. ALL OF THEM. IT WAS FASCINATING!

For years we have known about the benefits of POLARIZED Training. It wasn’t until recently, however, with the pioneering work of Coach and Physiologist Marco Altini, that we were able to interpret Heart Rate Variability data to the degree that we could find, for the cost of about $80-90usd, a PHYSIOLOGICALLY ACCURATE assessment of Aet, or Aerobic Threshold, sometimes known as LT1 (lactate deflection point 1), VT1 (Ventilatory Threshold #1), or HR Breakpoint #1. It has never been easier, or cheaper, to find.

This video is just a quick and short window into my most recent Collier Ramp Protocol, which I used with FatMaxxer App on an Android device.

In another post, I’ll provide a more holistic assessment post-workout, and I’ll include links to all files.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

Fall 2021 Training Plan – WITH DATA!

What Happened to This Summer?

Unhealthy Air.
For at least two months, the air around my home was dangerously unhealthy.

Ever since I moved to Reno, Nevada, in the Summer of 2019, I’ve been aware of the risk of Forest Fires. My wife and I dodged one in June of 2020 by about 1200 Meters, but the Summer of 2020 was literally cut short by 60 straight days of poor to hazardous air in the Great Basin. Outdoor exercise was unsafe. Even indoor exercise was risky. We finally purchased an Air Purifier, but then ended up hosting three Evacuees from South Lake Tahoe, as they escaped the fire that was approaching. The fires to the North and South burned over 1.2 Million Acres, and are still burning, though they are contained.

As a result, I gave up my fitness and focused on home and family. I lost about 70 watts of Threshold, and gained about 2.5 Kilos of mass.

Well, it’s time to get back to work!

Fall 2021 Programming

I’m going to begin my 2022 Campaign now, in early October. The air has finally cleared, the evacuees are gone, and temps have dropped to refreshing levels. I’m going to blog the journey with you, and I’m also going to give you access to all of my data, for your own perusal and review. I’ll work to make this a regular video blog, with some writing, and we’ll watch the instruments I employ on myself, reveal the changes in my body as I perform my routine of exercise.

This should leave you with some knowledge about how to employ these systems for yourself. Perhaps you’ll see their value, and will use them as well. But the main goal is to hold myself accountable, share information objectively, and reveal just how lucky we are to have technology that can help us assess, program, review, and analyze our bodies and our bikes, so that 2022 is even more fun, and adventurous!

Thanks for reading, thanks for watching, thanks for your patience, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

 

Testing For DFAa1 to Determine Lower Threshold Power

The DFAa1 Ramp Test Helped Me Set A More Accurate Lower Threshold Power

The DFAa1 Ramp Test is a protocol that shows cyclists where their bodies begin to change biologically when under strain. It uses Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and I have studied it since at least 2004, when I wrote a pocket book for Suunto for their T6 watch. The absolute distilled version of Heart Rate Variability says, “The heart is beating when it wants to, vs. beating when it has to.” In other words, no two beats are the same. A stochastic heart rate is a happy heart. A consistent heart rate is a strained heart.

When the Strain of heart rate contractions reaches a value of around .75, then it’s time to look at the actual heart rate itself, as well as the power being generated by the cyclist. With that value, we then have a much better idea of a cyclist’s Lower Threshold Power.

Why is an Accurate Lower Threshold Power So Important?

Lower Threshold Power is the KEY to POLARIZED TRAINING. When a cyclist is riding below their Lower Threshold Power, they’re teaching the body to become more economical. They’re teaching the body how to improve STAMINA. They’re teaching the body to BURN FAT. Over time, with regular testing and Progression, the DFAa1 test can reveal economy at higher heart rates, and higher wattages. If you believe in Polarized Training, then it should be 80-90% of your overall training volume. But ride too hard, and the gains are not as solid.

I’ve been using the Fitness Signature Values from Xert for years, which include a calculation for Lower Threshold Power. Lower Threshold Power can be found via a Lactate Test, a Vo2 test, and through the use of a Moxy Muscle Oxygen Monitor, but all of these are expensive, all of them have margins of error, and the Lactate Test is invasive.

Having a modern heart rate chest strap that can calculate HRV, and using a cheap app to reveal the data, provides everything we need to know, for less than $100usd.

What is the DFAa1 Test?

My friend and fellow coach, Richard Collier, of London, UK, was the first to really compel me to attempt this test. This is his protocol, based on conversations with Dr. Bruce Rogers, Marco Altini, a professor in Japan, and the developers of the www.runalyze.com website in Germany.

I have since named the workout after Richard, in my Xert Workout Library.

It’s a simple ramp test, from 55 to 105% of Threshold Power (NOT Lower Threshold Power), over 24 minutes and 30 seconds.

What do I need to test?

We begin by setting our Garmins up to record HRV via BLE.

To begin, go into your Garmin head unit settings, and press “System”.

Garmin 1030 System Page
Start by going into the “System” page on your modern Garmin.

Then press “Data Recording”.

Garmin 1030 Data Recording Page
Select “Data Recording”

Set ‘Recording Interval’ to ‘1 Sec’. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see “Log HRV”. Turn that feature ON.

Garmin 1030 Log HRV Page Setting
Set ‘Recording Interval’ to 1-sec (always do this), and set ‘Log HRV’ to ‘ON’.

Next, make sure you have one of the preferred BLE Channel Heart Rate Chest Straps.

Go back into “Settings”, and press “Sensors”. Then press “Search All”.

Garmin 1030 Search All Sensor Setting
Press “Search All”. – You MIGHT have to turn the Garmin off and then back on again to catch the BLE signal.

And just WAIT.

It SHOULD give you a “BLE” AlphaNumeric Identifier. Select that, save it, and you’re good to go on that part. Remember – you do NOT want the ANT+ version of the signal. You want the BLE.

Garmin 1030 BLE Chest Strap Discovery
This takes time, and it may require a Garmin reboot. Go with the Polar H10 HR strap, or the Garmin HRM Pro strap. I also love the 4III’s Viiiva strap.

Next, go ahead and download “HRV Logger”, from either iOS or Google Play on Android. It’s a good backup and it will visually help you ‘see’ where this 0.75 fraction exists.

DFAa1 HRV Logger by Marco Altini
The DFAa1 HRV Logger by Marco Altini and ASMA gives you a visual display of your DFAa1 Fraction, as well as providing a great backup data source. ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR DATA!

Finally, go ahead and buy a one-year subscription to www.runalyze.com. Believe me; if you can spend $10/mo on a training platform, $12 for an app on a phone, and NOT spend $$ on a coach, then the $30 you’ll spend on Runalyze, just for the DFAa1 interpretation, is well worth it.

OR, you can do the test and send me the data, which is what most of my clients do, and I’ll run it through everything for you.

The DFAa1 Test and Results (for me).

Thus far, I have performed three DFAa1 tests. Here are the results:

Richard Wharton Xert DFAa1 HRV Test
There’s not much to see here – just a standard ramp protocol with heart rate included. If I were using the old school method of trying to identify a deflection point for THRESHOLD, not LOWER THRESHOLD, I’d guess 172-175 bpm. But that’s NOT Lower Threshold. So let’s see what Runalyze shows.

This is one of the tests, performed in late May.

Here’s the HRV data from www.runalyze.com:

Richard Wharton Runalyze HRV DFAa1 Test Results
Some important notes here: 1) Set ‘window overlap’ to ‘115’. 2) Click to ‘Heart Rate’ and look for high validity and low artifacts. 3) Look at the Heart Rate first, and then think ‘When was the last time I rode a bike based on my Heart Rate?’

And here’s the Power…

Richard Wharton Runalyze HRV DFAa1 Test Results
Note: Lower Threshold Power = 172 watts. This was in late May of 2021, when I was first experimenting with DFAa1 testing.

Now – here’s the data that I just got from a test run on Sunday, June 27th, after two weeks of consistent 75 XSS training, and an emphasis on staying BELOW my Lower Threshold Heart Rate (and Power)…..

Richard Wharton DFAa1 Late June 2021 Heart Rate
HR for Lower Threshold went from 147 to 158, a 7% rise.

And here’s the Power…

Richard Wharton DFAa1 Power reading late June 2021
Note the ‘mounds’ of dots on the first half of the image. Remember the mantra from 2004: “It beats because it WANTS TO, vs. beating because IT HAS TO.” This is that value, visualized. Power at Lower Threshold rose from 172 to 205w, a 16% rise.

CONCLUSION: Use the DFAa1 Collier Ramp Test on a regular basis to help your POLARIZED Training.

In order to keep this short enough, I’m going to stop here. Next post, however, I’ll show you the Vo2master data from these rides. I’m riding for 75 XSS BELOW my DFAa1 HR, but my NORMALIZED WATTAGE keeps RISING!

It’s literally a ‘more watts per beat’ situation, and I am really loving it.

Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed it, please Leave a Tip by clicking on the button below.