Bike Noob

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It’s Zone 2 Time

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Okay, here we are in November. In most of the country, it’s pretty chilly now. Lots of bikers are moving to their basements, setting up their trainers, and starting the winter ritual of putting in stationary miles.

For those of us in milder climes, the cooler weather is welcome after a blistering summer. But even though we get to ride outdoors year round, it’s time to start thinking differently about riding.

It’s time for Zone 2.

For those not familiar with training zones, they’re based on heart rate. Zone 1 is the easiest, at about 55 to 70 percent of lactate threshold heart rate. Your lactate threshold is the point at which you realize you’re working hard, with heavy breathing and a burning sensation in the quads, according to cycling coach Joe Friel. Zone 2 is roughly 70-85 percent of max. These percentages vary depending upon where you get your coaching advice, but above 85 percent you’re in Zone 3, and Zone 4 can run from 94-99 percent of max. Zone 5 puts you in world of hurt territory, where you’re riding at 100 percent or more of your lactate threshold heart rate.

Now, why would we want to train in Zone 2, a relatively easy pace? Because we’re at that time of year where speed doesn’t matter. Most of us aren’t training for a race, or an organized ride, or even an extra long ride. What we’re really doing is building our base for the next season’s riding. In addition, the slower pace will have your body burning fat rather than glycogen.

Heck, that’s the kind of riding I tend to do most often anyway. In Zone 2, I have to remember to shift into really easy gears when climbing hills, because I don’t want to reach the top huffing and puffing. In fact, when I’ve done Zone 2 training in the past, I’ve always pedaled in easier gears, because I can spin at a higher cadence that way.

In another sense, Zone 2 time is a relief, because I know I don’t have to push it. I just have to get out there and put down some miles. The more I can do that, the better prepared I’ll be come spring, when it will be time to start pointing at some riding goals.

Activation Energy

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Guest poster Don Blount discusses how to deal with cold weather riding.

I feel it this time of the year. For that matter, I think we all do. When the temperatures fall, the wind howls and the days get shorter, we find it takes a bit more “oomph” or work to get out and ride.

The weather, which is much more dreary than in the spring and summer, surely plays a part in it. But so do a few other things.

For example, I have to keep a closer look at the weather. Instead of sunny and warm or sunny and hot, I have to monitor if it is going to be rainy, foggy or overcast or how low the temperatures will go. Thank goodness snow is not a concern for where I live in Northern California.

And instead of just putting on light base layer, jersey, bibs, gloves, socks, gloves, helmet and going, I have to decide what I am going to wear. Do today’s conditions require long sleeve or short sleeve base layer? What about warmers or thermal jersey and tights? Toe covers or shoe covers, medium or heavy gloves? After going through all of this, it takes longer to get dressed and out the door. And on some days there is additional time to clean the bike after a ride.

Spring and summer riding is fun. Most often my biggest concerns are getting out before it gets too hot and making sure I have enough food and water.

Preparing for fall and winter rides turn into work.

A New York Times story described it best as that exercise this time of the year requires more “activation energy.” That’s a chemistry term describing the amount of energy needed to start a reaction.

For cyclists and others trying to exercise it means the amount of effort needed to begin our activity. It takes more during these months. Some people crosstrain, others train less and still some just keep going no matter how much “oomph” it takes just to get out the door. I try to be in the last category, no matter how much work it takes.

Zone 2 Training

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After last weekend’s hill training with Austin Cycle Camp, I was looking forward to the last of their free November sessions.  This one was scheduled to take place in Cedar Park, northwest of Austin.

Their web site didn’t indicate what kind of training would be involved, but on Friday evening, I got a confirmation email from AC2 (Austin Cycle Camp) that said we should bring heart rate monitors, because we would be doing heart rate training.  Hmm.  I’ve got one, but its strap was broken, so it wouldn’t be of any use to me.  The email indicated that there would be a limited number available, so I figured I’d get to the location early and try to get one.

The morning was chilly.  I even had thoughts of forgetting it and crawling back into a warm bed.  But a check of the online weather sites revealed that they were predicting a temperature of about 40ºF (4ºC) by the time we were to start, so I loaded up on cold weather gear and drove up there.

It turned out that the reason for the heart rate monitors was to make sure we stayed in Zone 2 — the easy training zone.  Coach Dave even set the HRM he lent me to indicate not heartbeats per minute, but percent of maximum heart rate.  We were to start out in Zone 1 — 55 to 70 percent of max — then after a short warmup ride, head out on the highway and maintain a Zone 2 effort — 70 to 85 percent.

As Dave predicted, the group (about 15 people turned out) spread out quickly on the highway.  Those in better condition could maintain a higher speed in Zone 2 than those who were more casual riders.  We were to go for 20 minutes, then turn back.

Gently rolling hills along the route made maintaining a Zone 2 effort difficult.  The coaches encouraged us to keep pedaling, even if on a downhill.  Going uphill, we had to shift down to very easy gears to keep from going above 85 percent.

Back at the start, after a little less than an hour in the saddle, Dave told us that the effort we had just put out was where we should be for most of our winter training.  With no major organized rides or races on the horizon, the emphasis should be on building or maintaining a base.  That will improve your aerobic capacity, and teach your body to burn fat instead of glycogen.

I had done slow training rides before, but always had trouble maintaining an easy pace for a full hour.  There’s always the temptation to attack this favorite hill, or carve that upcoming turn.  But it turned out that even at a sedate Zone 2 pace, we weren’t really lollygagging.  My average speed for the session was over 16 mph — about what it is when I’m out on my normal neighborhood rides.

So now that I know what Zone 2 feels like, I’ll be riding it more often.  I’ll reserve one ride a week to turn on the afterburners — you have to remember what it feels like to go fast — but otherwise, I’ll be the guy pedaling in a fast cadence who just glides along the street.

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