Road to Manchester – Sitrep 4/19/2019
Manchester | Sitrep 4/19/2015 } Recovery Day – Sunday by Robert Warren Hess Yesterday was my recovery ride from my training at the velodrome. Here are the Stats … 40.2 miles (just over 122 miles for the week) 3,420 feet of vertical clim Strava “Suffer Score” of 98 – I’ve had one over 300 before:-) Points in the Red – 18 People often ask me about the Around the World Cycling Challenge we created at PCAP. [You can read the details on our website at http://bitly.AroundtheWorldCyclingChallenge. We created the challenge because there is compelling research that consistent exercise reduces the risk of getting cancer and it’s recurrence after treatment. It took me 10 years to finish my around the world trip. But that was 10 years of consistent exercise, health benefits, adventure, and just plain fun. So, check out our website and join me on my second lap around the earth. Allez! Question of the Day. What’s your reason? read more
Road to Manchester – Sitrep 4/16/2015
Just Like Carnegie Hall, the Way to Manchester is all About Practice! by Robert Warren Hess My travel schedule has dropped significantly, so I’ve been able to ride at the track twice this week and I hope to be able to keep that schedule up. Today’s session was really fun – I rode a total of 55.2 miles in 2 hours and 39 minutes rolling. Here are today’s stats … 50 minute training session prior to Roger’s session. 15 minute warm up, then 3 x standing RAs (rolling accelerations) with 3 min between each RA. Max speed was 28.6 mph on 170mm cranks and 90.6 gear inch, which is about 101 cadence. At the end of Roger’s session, a total of 55.2 miles for the afternoon, I managed to reach 31.35 in the same gear sitting – which is only about 111 cadence. Great session. I actually feel pretty good. Just slow:-) My New Manchester Bicycle Worlds at Manchester is Bucket List trip for me so I’m pulling out all of the stops in getting ready for this. I’m replacing my trust Fuji Track Pro that I’ve been riding for the past 11 years with a custom made Serenity track […] read more Road to Manchester | Sitrep 4/14/2015
How to Feel Really Inadequate on a Track Bike by Robert Warren Hess I finally got back to the velodrome after almost two weeks in Virginia on family business. My 98 year old aunt – and second mom – passed away in her sleep and I was back for the funeral and to help with affairs. I wasn’t intending this post to be about my Aunt Thelma, but I guess that’s what it’s going to be. She was a wonderful person and always was surrounded by children, although she had none of her own. She was a prankster at heart, and taught us all how to ‘snipe hunt’ when we were children. Our summers were always spent with her and she made them all exciting, interesting, and just plain wonderful. She even managed to teach us all to love vegetables. She was a wonderful lady and we all miss her. 26.95 Miles Behind an 11-year old! The image on the right is the heart rate data from my training session tonight. It shows that my heart didn’t think I was working as hard as I thought I was:-) This particular training session is done in a pace line, with riders […] read more Does Fasted Training Make Sense?
Restructuring Muscle to Burn Fat by Robert Warren Hess There is an active discussion within the cycling community about training while fasting to train the body to use more fat as fuel. The result would be a leaner body [fat does do much more than go along for the ride] and a greater power to weight ratio. I’m very interested in this because at 5′ 10″ and 153 pounds, I’m still at 21% body fat according to my latest Body-spec scan. That’s an astounding 30 pounds of me that isn’t doing anything? Well, not really true. I think we need about 9-10% body fat for normal body operation, so I’ve really got just about 10 pounds to lose to get to my optimal weight of 140 [which was my weight when I graduated from college]. Pez Cycling just published a great article on this subject. The bottom line: “More research is still required to establish a robust causal relationship between the metabolic mechanisms that are being stimulated and improved performance on the road. However, restricting or depleting carbohydrate before low-intensity sessions may be a potent stimulus to enhance fat metabolism.” Read the full article here: “Remodellng Muscle to Burn Fat.” […] read more Road to Manchester – Sitrep 4/8/2015
180 Days and Counting by Robert Warren Hess I’ve got just 180 days to get myself in shape for the world master track cycling championships in the fantastic velodrome in Manchester, England. I’ve visited and vacationed in England, but I’ve never raced there. So, needless to say, I’m excited. I may not have mentioned my event, which is the 500 meter time trial. It’s a super simple event. You begin at a standstill (in a starting gate) and the timer counts down from 10. When he gets to 1, the buzzer sounds, the gate releases, and you accelerate at fast as you can for the next 500 meters, which is twice around the oval at the Manchester velodrome. The winning time in my age group last year was just under 39 second. My best time ever to date is 42 seconds, so I’ve got a lot of work to do! So, It’s Just a Drag Race. Right? Yup. That’s pretty much it. It’s all about power to weight, pedaling efficiency, wind resistance, and fitness. The seat height needs to be right so that you can generate the maximum amount of power and leg speed. Your handle bar height needs to […] read more 4 Reasons to Start Cycling
We, at the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project (PCAP) are exercise enthusiasts. We host and sponsor several events throughout the year to encourage fitness and healthy living. Robert Hess, PCAP founder and prostate cancer survivor, has ridden the distance around the world, 24,901.6 miles, in the 10 years since his cancer treatment. Those miles have been a key element in his prostate cancer recurrence prevention program. He enjoys cycling so much that he created the Around the World Cycling Challenge. But in the case you are not convinced about the health benefits of cycling. A recent msn.com post shares 4 reasons why you should put on your gear and get cycling! The post compares outdoor cycling to stationary cycling. It states that you will burn more fat and gain more energy. The post also shares how cycling makes you stronger and faster. Another benefit mentioned is that outside cycling allows you to clear your mind. Check out the entire post: 4 Reasons You Should Start Cycling. Rather you like indoor or outdoor cycling, we just encourage you to ride for better health! read more 9 Helpful Ways to Transition into Spring 2015 Cycling
I am fortunate to live in sunny California so the weather is fairly nice year round. For my cycling friends in other areas of this great country the spring probably could not get here soon enough! So this post is for you to help get back into the swing of outside cycling again. Coach John Hughes, author of Distance Cycling: Your complete guide for long-distance rides, provides 9 tips to help transition into Spring cycling in a recent post on active.com. Get a Bike Fit Tune Your Bike Cycling Using Specific Muscles Firing Exactly Right Improve Your Pedaling Economy Find Your Optimum Cadence Work On Your Spin Build Your Power Cycling Economy Upper Body Fatigue Ramp Up Slowly You can check out the entire post here. Do you have a routine that helps you transition? Let me know in the comments below. read more Tips for Cyclists to Avoid Getting Sick During the Winter
We are still immersed in the midst of cold and flu season which means we should continue to take extra precautions in maintaining our health as we train as cyclists. Here’s 5 ways to stay healthy during the winter season from bicycling.com. They are a good reminder to all of us. Continue to train. Physical activity can aid in germ fighting. Wear a gaiter. When your neck gets cold our immunity tends to plummet and diseases can arise. Cover your neck. Get enough sleep. Sleeping fewer than six hours a night can lower your immune-system responses when under virus attack. Get a good seven to nine hours of rest. Stay hydrated. Winter air can be dehydrating so drink a lot of water. Wash your hands. Germ live on surfaces that we touch every day so to avoid getting sick wash your hands often. Read entire article for more tips at bicycling.com. read more Road to Manchester – Dispatch 2
Prostate Cancer Recurrence and the ‘Fitness Factor’ by Robert Warren Hess Today was my second session at the track on my way to Manchester. If you love to ride bicycles, you will love to ride the track. Our track here at the Velo Sports Center at the StubHub Center is pretty fantastic: indoors (no potholes or traffic lights); 250 meters of Siberian pine; 45 degree bankings; a pretty constant 72 degrees fahrenheit. Now, that’s pretty sweet. I’m still working so it’s a challenge getting the miles in. So far in 2015, I’ve managed to ride just 158 miles, which isn’t nearly enough. By the way, I’ve ridden the distance around the world since my prostate cancer treatment in 2003 and I’m working on my second lap. You can join me at the Around the World Cycling Challenge. So, what did I get done this morning … First, the early morning LA traffic snagged me so I wast able to get on the track until 6:30 am and I had to be finished by 8:00 am., so I didn’t get my complete interval program completed. Summary … – 50 laps warm-up in 103 in gear – 7.5 miles – 3 x […] read more
Road to Manchester – Report 1
Prostate Cancer Recurrence and the ‘Fitness Factor’ by Robert Warren Hess Research over the past decade is providing good evidence that exercise plays an important role in reducing the risk of all cancers. But it is only recently that researchers have begun looking at exercise’s role in preventing the recurrence of cancer. In my case, the recurrence of my prostate cancer. My prostate cancer was treated in 2003, and that puts me right in the zone for when prostate cancer recurs. That’s a big concern for me – as it is for many others. But, I served a career in the US Army and I learned the value of planning. So I made my own prostate cancer battle plan, which included bicycle riding If you’ve read this blog, you know that I have ridden the distance around the world, 24,901.6 miles, in the 10 years since my treatment. Those miles have been a key element in my prostate cancer recurrence prevention program. I enjoyed it so much that I created the Around the World Cycling Challenge. I love track cycling and I’m headed for the Masters World Track Cycling championships in Manchester, England this coming October [October 2015] to ride […] read more Donate to PCAP
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