44 Fours: 4 minute Efforts
1) This week we turn to Lee Krasner for our art inspiration. Her painting The Seasons is in our banner. Ever since believing
Krasner was overlooked as a pinter and her more popular (and appreciated) partner Jackson Pollock. Her work is the splash page for this post.
Joan Miro was a woman, I vowed to do more women’s art and cycling in class. I knew the name Lee Krasner from my admiration of Jackson Pollock. But like Frida Kahlo and Elaine de Kooning, it took the art world a while to appreciate Krasner. I feel similar about heart rate training. Instructors rarely lose their breath in class. So not the best please to get breathing advice — how do they know you’re tired?. You need to investigate fatigue (vis-à-vis heart rate) for yourself.
2) Our second heart rate metric is respiratory rate, or breaths per minute. Respiratory rate (more) correlates with cardiovascular fitness and intensity. It increases as you move away from your resting heart rate, indicating a heightened breathing episode -- perhaps a workout. You may notice differences as fever, or other illnesses, begin to attack your body.
The normal range for adults is between 12 and 20 breaths per minute. This is the range where your body can efficiently remove the carbon dioxide it produces. Naturally, indoor cycling seeks to hasten your breathing, but not at all costs.
WHOOP BAND RESPIRATION RATE DATA
For many riders, working at ~75% of maximum heart rate, breathing frequency will be about 30 times per minute. For many riders, working at 85+% of maximum heart rate (near VO2 max), breathing frequency will be about 60 times per minute. This is where our baseline training comes into play.
CYCLING MAGAZINE
3). We’ve focused on aerobic effort in the last few weeks. Our goal is to utilize heart rate to control work rate. As opposed to losing our breath continuously, we seek consistent performance.
One of my riders sent in numbers from our prior two weeks. Notice the difference when we move to low-intensity intervals. Decreased heart rate the overall distance and power don’t vary much.
I’ve seen cyclists win bike races with average watts under 200. The goal is to use your energy when needed. Not all of the time.
4) This week’s profile is called 44 Fours. We don’t do 44 sets, ode to the Jay-Z song named 44 Fours), but each push will last four minutes. Playlist below:
5) I received a lovely email about last week’s class. It further speaks to consistent efforts on the bike and enduring at lower (70 - 80 rpms) cadence.
Today’s class really worked for me! Even though I didn’t get the distance and average speed I am used to, my leg’s REALLY got a good workout!! LifeTime Reston rider
We have another ten weeks of base-building rides. Working aerobically is a learned trait. I’ll do my best to cue you in class, but you’ll need to put some work in as well. I recommend yoga as a start. Many cyclists practice yoga as part of their fitness routine to improve breathing and flexibility, in addition to the mental benefits.