Sunny Health and Fitness Indoor Cycle

Getting exercise while traveling can be difficult. I find the easiest thing to do is bring running gear with me. It doesn't take much space in my suitcase, and it's usually possible to get a run in. If running outdoors is a safety issue, hotels almost always have a treadmill somewhere on the premises. The one problem for me is that I really can't run two days in a row, because of a resolving injury. I recently spent the weekend at my brother's, and fortunately for me, he has an indoor cycling bike. It's a Sunny Health and Fitness Indoor Cycle, Model SF-B901. My brother and sister-in-law aren't cyclists. They have two young boys, and wanted something relatively inexpensive they could use at home for exercise. They did some research and purchased this bike, but haven't used it much. My brother was interested to see what my take on the bike was, since I'm an experienced cyclist, and have used a variety of gym-quality indoor bikes.

My immediate impression is that the Sunny is set up very similarly to other indoor bikes that I've used. There are two small wheels built into the front of the frame to move the bike. Since the bike weighs only 108 pounds, this was very easy to do, even for a small woman like me. I'm used to moving the Spinner bikes at the local Y, and I have to use my body weight to tip them forward on the wheels to roll the bike. There are three adjustment knobs on the bike: handlebar height, seat height, and seat distance from the handlebar. The knobs turn, then pull out, and can be moved into pre-drilled holes. This makes the setup, especially for the seat, much more secure. My position on the bike felt very similar to other indoor cycling bikes that I've used. The seat was comfortable. I had thrown tri shorts into my suitcase instead of cycling shorts. Much thinner padding, but I was fine for the one hour ride that I did. A longer ride may require shorts with a thicker padding. The pedals are a two-sided affair; one side flat and the other has a toe cage with an adjustable strap. I'm used to using gym bikes with pedals that allow me to use my cleated cycling shoes. I doesn't appear that Sunny offers this option with this particular model. Nor, interestingly enough, is there a bottle cage or an option to purchase one. I suppose a cage could be retrofitted on, but that would require drilling holes into the frame, voiding the warranty. The bike is advertised as being quiet, and it was. There was a very slight "shushing" sound as the flywheel passed through the brake pads, but it was minimal (and maybe could be adjusted to eliminate altogether). I was able to use the adjustment knob to achieve my desired cadence and heart rate--actually had a pretty nice puddle under the bike when I was done. I don't think this is the bike for a dedicated cyclist looking for a winter training option. Lowest retail I found for this model is around $270.00. For that amount, you can buy a new Kurt Kinetic Road Machine trainer for your bicycle. But, if you're looking for a home exercise machine, and like the idea of an indoor cycle, I think this is a solid choice.

No Excuses

I said in a previous blog that I'm known for being hard on myself. I'm definitely very critical of how I think I should perform, but I haven't always connected my performance with my preparation. I've thought at times that I should have done better at something, whether it be an athletic endeavor, something work-related, or otherwise. But when I looked at the events leading up to the performance, I had to admit that I made excuses for not always putting in the hard work, and thinking because I *wanted* something very badly, somehow, magically it would happen. Sometimes we get lucky. The right person comes along, or we're in the right place at the right time. When it comes to performing well in a race or goal event, however, luck can't replace hard work. For those of us who are average Joes, consistency in training is the most important factor in improving.

So last year, I decided it was going to be my "No Excuses" year. I had been injured early in 2011, and postponed surgery until December of 2011 so I could have something of a season. I couldn't run at all, and too many miles on the bike hurt. I hated every minute of it, and decided after the surgery and rehab was completed, I would remember how awful it felt to not be able to do the things I wanted to do. No more skipping workouts because I forgot my towel, or it was raining, or my friends wanted to go for coffee. No more wimping out on open water swims, because I couldn't go alone, and couldn't find anyone to swim with. I had a lot of time to think about it while I was hobbling around on my crutches, and I came up with two main ideas or philosophies.

One: Get organized. You waste more time chasing around, doing things half-assed at the last minute, than you would take to think ahead and be prepared. I bought a couple of plastic tubs for my car and put in a variety of biking and running items that I always need: extra cycling shorts, running shorts, sports bras, tubes, gels, etc. You get the idea. I always cycle or run either from home or from somewhere I've driven to, so I always keep my cycling shoes, running shoes, helmet, bike pump, etc. in my car. Wherever I am, so is my car, so when I get back home from a ride, my shoes and helmet go back in the car. What works for me won't work for everyone. Give it some thought and dedicate an afternoon to organizing things. Write stuff down as you think of them, and do them as soon as you get a minute. My solution for forgetting my towel? I bought a chamois that swimmers use. It's small--takes up hardly any room in my gym bag, and will do in a pinch. No excuses. When I see that I'm running out of shampoo in my shower kit, I leave my gym bag somewhere where I'll trip over it, so I'll remember that I need to do something with it. That smartphone that goes everywhere with you? It has a notepad, a reminder or to-do app, a calendar, whatever. Use it! For one open water swim with someone who is notoriously unreliable, I had my husband come along with his kayak. The person showed, but my husband paddled a short distance away, and that worked. The next time I wanted to swim, my son came along with the kayak and spotted me.

The second philosophy is what I call "1, 2, 3." If you are serious about training, there are only three priorities that you need to juggle in your day-to-day life. Everything else comes after (most of the time). Those three things are: family, job, training. Look at your training calendar at least a week ahead and plug in your workouts. Weekdays are usually work days for me. I have a "hair, clothes, makeup" job, to which I arrive before 7:30 a.m., and is non-stop all day. I like quiet, relaxing time before work to gather myself, so weekdays, work is usually "1." I have a grown son who is living with us temporarily, who has a job and a social life. My husband is retired. So, I can usually rank my workout as "2," meaning I can plan it in immediately after work, and have family time, "3", for dinner and during the evening. My husband and son like to sleep in on weekends, so my workout is usually "1" on Saturday and Sunday. I get up early and get it done, and have the rest of the day for family, friends, housework, etc. I find that if I've planned in the workouts, I view them like I would a doctor's appointment--not optional. Unless, of course, life gets in the way. Maybe my dad calls because he's just remembered that he needs a driver for his eye appointment today. The "old" me would have used that as an excuse to take a day off. Can't say no, right? The "new" me evaluates the situation honestly. Am I in need of a rest day? If it's been awhile, then I can push the workout out of the top 3, and not feel guilty. If I really want to get the workout in, then I find a way and still help out Dad. Maybe, instead of riding, I go for a run while he's at the doctor's office (here's where that tub of extra clothes in your car comes in handy). No excuses. For me, getting organized and adopting the "1, 2, 3" philosophy has made me more efficient, and I find that I have even more free time to socialize, run errands, or whatever, than I used to before I was training regularly.

Caveat: Many people I know, either personally or from the Spinervals Facebook group, don't have commitment issues when it comes to training. They've drunk the Kool-aid. Instead, they struggle with having proper perspective when their job or family responsibilities interfere. As I said earlier, consistency in training is imperative for improvement, and for those of us who don't get paid to race, finding time to train five or six (or seven!) days a week is tough. We know we can't skip too many workouts without paying the price. For instance, I don't actually plan in rest days. Recovery days, yes. Rest days, no; because, invariably, something comes up every week to ten days to prevent me from getting a workout in. For those times when frustration creeps in when illness, or extra paperwork, or some other "1" or "2" obligation makes a workout impossible, it's important to remind yourself that rest is essential. Tired muscles cannot get stronger or faster. A day off here or there is actually part of your training. If the "rest" stretches into days, or longer, embrace the suck. Depending on the length of and reason for the layoff, perhaps you can use the time to get extra sleep. Or do the yoga or core exercises you also say you're going to do but don't. Or tick a bunch of stuff off your honey-do list, so when you do get back to training, you're a little less encumbered with other obligations. As a fellow Spinervals peep, David Smith, has pointed out, once you've committed to regular training, regardless of your ability level, you're still lapping everybody on the couch.

Spinervals 43.0 Review

I downloaded Spinervals 43.0 the other night, in preparation for today's ride. Some of my Spinervals friends have ordered the DVD, but it hasn't arrived yet, so I'll start this blog with the actual workout.

The workout is about 1:58:00, and starts with the usual 3x30 seconds, with 30 seconds rest for the warmup.

The first set is 10x2 min reps, with 30 sec rest between reps. The focus is low cadence, and keeping HR and power below LT and FTP, zone 3 for those on Spinner bikes. Coach recommends the big chain ring on the front, and the 13/15 on the back, but focusing on keeping cadence in the 70-80 rpm range. Two minute recovery after the set. Coach says he's going to have people stand, but only has you stand just once. I don't remember which rep, maybe 7 or 8.

Second set: 4x5 min, with 1 minute rest between reps. All other instructions the same. Two minute recovery. Stood twice in the 2nd rep, and once in the last rep.

Third set: 10x2 min, 30 sec rest between reps again, but this time cadence between 90-100 rpm, HR and power still below LT and FTP. Coach recommends Small/15 combo, but stresses hitting cadence range. Two minute rest. Stood two times on the 7th rep, and one time each on the 8th and 9th reps.

Fourth set: 5x4 min reps with 1 min rest between reps, all else the same as the last set. Stood twice on the fourth rep.

The workout was supposed to be 90 minutes and 25 miles. When I started the video, it showed 1:58, and I wondered if I had double-clicked the wrong one. But, Coach says within the first few minutes that it's a 90 min workout, so I thought, "Ohhh, one of *those*." Figured I'd go for the 90 minutes first, then see how I felt. At around 50 minutes in, Coach says the low cadence set should be making your quads burn, and maybe the name of the workout should be "Quads on Fire." Now, I'm thinking, "Damn it! I did start the wrong video. I must've clicked 42.0 by accident." Got off the bike to check, but no, I had the right one. Then, the first rep of the third set, I think Coach lost his focus. It was supposed to be a 2 minute rep. About 3 minutes later, I'm thinking, "Man, this seems like a long 2 minutes," when Coach says, "Two minutes to go."! Either he realizes his mistake, or someone tells him, so he ends the rep at four minutes, and counts it as the first two reps. Coach, for my extra credit, I'll take one of those shirts you're wearing, women's small, please :) ! At 1:11, I already had 19 miles done, and thought that for once, I'll hit the time and distance for the workout. The last set starts at just before 1:30 into the workout, and I had 23.5 miles at that point, so I decided to start the set and go rep by rep and see how my legs felt. I did HC100 three days ago (HC86.5 in my case), took a rest day, and ran and swam yesterday. My legs felt surprisingly good, so I kept going, and finished strong. I did Strendurance E after; the legs were starting to feel it then.

Stats for the workout: 1:58:14, 31.1 miles, avg HR-135 (pretty low, awesome!), avg power-162 (right where it should've been, awesomer!), avg rpms-80, avg mph-15.7.

My Addie cat watching me, wondering why I spend so much time on that stupid bike!

Hard Core 100 Debrief

I did Hard Core 100 for the first time on January 1st, 2013. What a way to start the year! It was the last day of Coach Troy Jacobson's Spinvervals 32-day Challenge. I won't write too much about the prep. See Keiko Flores's Blog for the best advice on what to do to get ready for this ride. I did get quite a bit ready the night before: laid out three changes of clothes (someone from our group Facebook page mentioned changing socks at each disc change. Great advice, my shoes stayed relatively dry), put three towels by my bike, had a tub of assorted GU gels and GU Chomps, and put Heed powder in four water bottles. I use about a scoop and a third per bottle. I don't like my drinks flavored too strongly, and I don't ever cramp during exercise. Also, had my iPod shuffle ready to go (thanks, Tom Fisher), and a tub of Assos Chamois Cream. Obviously, I didn't do any New Years Eve partying. We had a quiet night, and I was in bed by 10:30. I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights-hot flashes :( and I woke up almost hourly. Finally checked my RHR upon waking, it was about 50 bpm, so no worries about lack of sleep having a negative effect. Got up at 6:30, and had my usual breakfast of oatmeal, juice and coffee. Checked Facebook to see who was already rolling, and was on the bike by 7:30 a.m. I started out with tri shorts. We had a discussion on our Spinervals group Facebook page about sore and chafed bits. Someone mentioned wearing tri shorts. I always wear tri shorts on my tri bike when riding on the road. Don't know why I've been wearing bike shorts while in the trainer. Great decision! Had no issues today, so did tri shorts for every clothes change. I was a little concerned with Coach's admonishment at the beginning that anyone who starts the workout must finish it! So, I rode pretty easy at first. I won't give the entire workout chapter and verse. Here's the link to the PDF, though it's not accurate near the end. The ride started with a warmup, then six-10 min sets. Kept my HR and power in the recovery range for the first set. I typically warm up pretty slowly. Bumped them up to aerobic range by the end of the first set, and was firmly aerobic by the second set. Was having no difficulty maintaining 16+ mph. In retrospect, I should have pushed a little harder in the first 1 1/2 hours. Right from the beginning, I decided to ride with my music in one ear, and left out the earbud in my other ear, so I could hear Coach call out the gear changes. I was feeling very good. I did have to get off the bike after one rep to kill a large black spider. Brrrr...hate those things. My husband, AKA Sherpa, got up when I was 1:20 into the ride. He brought me another cup of coffee. I finished the first water bottle in about an hour, and started nutrition at 30 min. I took nutrition every 20-30 minutes, alternating GU Chomps with GU gels. Started Disc 2 at 1:33, but changed into dry clothes first. I had started sweating about 20 minutes in, and was wringing wet by this time. There was another three minute break at 2:30, but I just stayed on the bike and spun through. My hips were getting a bit tired, so I started standing occasionally. I finished the coffee and the second water bottle by 2:45. I was 43.6 miles in at the half way mark. Really thought I was on track to break 90 miles. I see now that my math was bad, per usual. At 3:03, Coach said we should be at 50 miles. I was at 48.3, so, still all good. Disc 3 started with two hours left. I did another clothes change, and remarked to my Sherpa that it was getting mentally difficult. I had left the heat on in my workout room; I usually turn it off, but with a 5 1/2 hour ride on a cold day, I was afraid the house would get too cold. When I walked back into the room after changing, the heat hit me like a wall! I turned it off for the last two hours. I was only at 56.3 miles, and the sets were getting harder, so my average speed was dropping. I was actually still maintaining 16+ on the reps, but was really spinning slowly on the breaks. There was a 12x4 min set with lots of gear changes that just seemed to last forever. It was also becoming clear that the PDF I was following along with couldn't be right. There was too much time left, and not enough work to fill it. Sure enough, at 55 minutes left, there is a 10x2 min set that wasn't on the PDF. I mean, I know I had to do another hour, but mentally, it really threw me for a loop. Checked my distance with 40 minutes left, and I was only at 76 miles. I actually broke down for about 90 seconds, shed a tear or two of frustration, then pulled myself together. Finished out the ride without any more issues, with 86.5 miles. I went through three sets of clothes, three towels, 4 1/2 bottles of Heed and one cup of coffee, three gels and three packages of Chomps. I think I did ok with fluids and nutrition. Took in about 1350 calories and 116 ounces of fluids, plus breakfast. Didn't cramp, although I hardly peed at all during and after the ride. I was literally dripping sweat the entire time, but it does concern me a bit, given my hospitalization last year. I do 50 mile races without getting off the bike (or peeing in my shorts!). Felt better after it was all over about my results. I was reading and posting to Facebook a little during the ride, and I said it was the hardest thing I've ever done. I've done around 10 century rides, and I suffered more on this ride then any of them. Bike setup plays a role. Riding my tri bike on a trainer is not the same as riding my road bike outdoors. For starters, they have different gearing: 53/39 on the tri bike, versus a compact 50/34 on the road bike. There's no coasting on the trainer, no downhills, no riding the wheels of bigger guys and catching a break. Everyone says I'm very hard on myself, and I know I am. This was an accomplishment that I am proud of, like my first century ride. And, if I were to remind myself, my goal then should have been my goal with this ride, which was to finish. And I did that. AND, I finished the Challenge! Thanks to Keiko Flores, Karen Haldane, Judy King, Brad Ellis, Kelly and Eddie Mendoza, Michelle Sewell Spina, Rick and Susan Sobona, Tom Fisher, Mary Duprey, Chrissy Bianco Brooks, Cleda Beckhorn, Callum Skeet and all my other Spinerval Peeps for being so supportive.

Stats at 2:31:16, avg rpm-80, avg hr-140, avg watts-162, avg mph-15.8, distance-40.01
Stats at end: 5:32:39, avg rpm-77, avg hr-143, avg watts-158, avg mph-15.5, distance-86.54

Note to self for next time: eat real food, like fig newtons or peanut butter bagel. Was feeling kind of nauseous by the end.