Doing bike sprints while seated is really a difficult thing, to not stand and engage the glutes, strongest muscles in the body. Much more of a quad workout. However, that's what I'm doing during this healing phase of my workouts. Still doing daily resistance, 24 pullups this morning. Becoming routine. Situps, ab wheel, pushups, dumbells, hanging abs are my routine. Stopped doing the slant board squats for a while. The 2.5 mile bike sprint was a 'seated' PR. Almost a minute slower than my regular PR.
2.5 mile seated mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl
Time - 10:09
Avg speed - 12.8 mphMax HR - 165
HR over 156 - 4:07
Avg HR - 150 (inc 1 min recovery at end)
Decent workout but not the real max HR sweat dripper that I'm used to. Really helps to have the glutes to get to that intensity.
Had a swim yesterday at Scott's party. Also ate some party food like chips and brownies, ice cream, but not a lot. Still 142.7 for today's weigh in.
I feel like my life has entered a major transition as I've now committed to playing full solo concerts starting in Oct. The lifestyle of a musician that I led for so many yrs is quite different than the lifestyle I led after the pandemic pushing toward athletic championships. It actually got a bit unhealthy during the peak as a performer in my early 40s. Was probably 10-12+ lbs heavier, didn't watch my diet as much, exercise wasn't a priority, occasionally ate poorly, spent a lot of time sitting and practicing, up late at night and drinking too much tea and coffee, even beer, occasional light use of cannabis - (which actually is proven helpful in the interpretive and creative process). Also, performing itself is quite stressful. When you say you're a guitarist, usually the next question is, 'are you in a band?' There is no more difficult, challenging, and stressful situation for a guitarist than doing hour long SOLO classical concerts in an academic or concert series situation. Period.
I did find a shirtless photo of myself from that era before athletics when my life was only guitar. I looked somewhat lean, but weak.
This is about 24-25 yrs ago, (about age 41-42ish). I was doing some very serious hiking then, so I wasn't by any means significantly overweight. This photo was during a boat trip with Lisa at Fontana. At one point, we did a 25 mile day hike with a nearly 5000' vertical climb, as well as a 16 miler with a 3300' climb in the same few day trip. I couldn't come close to doing that today. Only maybe if my life depended on it.
The parallels between training as a sprinter and as a concert musician are really remarkable … “trust the process” as they say. I haven’t played a full hour solo program in almost 8 yrs I think. (Shorter programs yes). Now concerned with hand health, but that is generally ok. Where athletics and music training differ is in time spent. Physical adaptations for the hands seem to take more daily time than relatively brief intense track workouts, because a lot of the practice is slow and methodical, and it’s every day. Both are long term commitments taking months, not only in learning to execute, but doing it on the spot in a performance, which is more the mental aspect. Not that it's impossible to do both as I did in 2015, but my 2015 tour was in the fall - off season for track.
Anyway, since I started this blog 15 yrs ago, it's going to remain about training, fitness, wellness, etc... and I'm going to begin at some point, moving my discussions on music to my somewhat neglected other blog which I started nearly 20 yrs as mostly an adventure, outdoors, travel, music, and photography blog. https://tnparadise.blogspot.com/
I'm really liking my life right now. Have settled into a pleasant routine where I stay up late and practice, sometimes go to the cathedral, wake up early and go back to sleep, usually getting out of bed by 9 or 10am, do a few scales on the guitar, do my pullups, pushups, a brief walk, weigh in on my scale, drink a liter of water, sit in the hot tub, get out and start my daily practicing ... which will go for hours. I have my first coffee about noon and a light snack, usually Wasa crackers with fig jam mixed with psyllium husk. I eat my main meal which is a large salad sometimes with fish, or chick peas. Sometimes a vegetable stew with zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil from my small basil tree, and whatever other vegetables I have available. Really low carb. These types of main meals don't have enough calories to make it and I've been snacking on walnuts and blueberries, occasionally Wasa crackers of Royo bread with sunflower butter, and dried cranberries. When I do eat meat, it's usually flounder, salmon, organic chicken breast. I will also occasionally eat other types of fish like cod, shrimp. So with a relatively narrow diet, it's not out of the possibility that I may have a folate or Vit B deficiency so I'm testing for that on Friday. Easy to remedy. Due to my CKD, I was told to be cautious with Vit C, and I did see my collagen supplement had 100mg of Vit C. Should be ok.
Living in nature and getting most of my vegetables from the local organic market, the low stress job, the commitment to health and fitness I have now should help make a healthier transition back into concert performance. Older and wiser.
Post a video documenting your 26 pull-ups
ReplyDeleteYes, the pullups are more impressive than the music. I've been doing them for years and can only get to 10.
ReplyDeleteDon’t think you have heard him play then
DeleteTo be clear, my pullups are not strict from dead hang, I go down 95% but not complete lockout, it hurts my elbow, but I will post a video. Did 24 this morning.
DeleteSomething is wrong with your cycling- poor bike fit, improper position on the seat or something. You should be faster sitting than standing over 10 minutes, and glute involvement should actually be greater sitting. Tie some heavy washers or something similar to a string. Sit on your seat and position the crank so that it is parallel to the floor with your foot on the pedal. Drop the plum line from the forward most point of the knee patella area- it should intersect the center of the pedal (spindle). I assume yours is intersecting the ball or toe of the foot an inch or two in front of the spindle. If so adjust the seat back - if the seat is pushed back then it needs to be lowered a tad as well to maintain the same extension. If that’s not it, other possibilities are too long a crank or just poor cycling habits over years so cycling motion is undeveloped. What is your cadence?
ReplyDeleteAnyone who has experience in competitive time trails can tell you of a race where they could barely walk when done due to their glutes being so sore they feel like they are going to rip with every step. And that is staying seated the whole time for aerodynamics. Now that is on a road bike which is more aggressive position than a mountain bike but for maximum speed you try to replicate that position as much as possible.
I really don't understand how the glutes are engaged much. I can see it in a leg press. Maybe my seat is too low?
DeleteClaude and Gemini disagree with me. They claim if you forceably keep your hips back while standing you recruit more hip. So I retract my statement as I haven’t convincing data. For sure full out of saddle sprints recruit more of everything else world class sprinters wouldn’t be able to put out 2000 watts. But still, a sustained 10 min ride should be faster in a seated position, or at least most all the time sitting.
ReplyDeleteStill check your alignment of knee to pedal and adjust seat if needed to center. Seat position could be too low also. So if not using “more glutes than standing” you could be missing out on “getting the most out of your glutes” when sitting.
So while you are adjusting, have Roya (or your phone with a timer) take a picture of you with your leg at full extension. The knee angle should be 25 to 35 degrees, or 145 to 155 degrees depending on how you measure. At the extreme some ride at 20 (or 160) degrees, typically if they point the toes or have the cleat as far forward as they can. Use some app to measure the angle, I know copilot can do it. Not sure about Claude but assume he can. If after adjusting you feel like your hips are rocking to reach the pedal the seat is too high.
ReplyDeleteI queried Claude further, too much detail for here see your e-mail. Key points: glute involvement isn’t sitting vs standing but is hip angle and pelvic rotation. Aggressive seated position uses glutes/quads/calves 50/45/15 percent. Gap to hypothetical power distribution that you are experiencing is most likely ancient bike - non racing geometry combined with too long crank for your height/leg length. Basically need modern geometry tuned for performance with 155 to 160mm cranks. At your athletic level you do yourself a disservice being cheap on your cycling equipment.
DeleteHave a look at some of the lower intensity strength progames available. Following a programmed routine often sits well with older/winding down athletes. Bodyweight, kettlebell, dumbbell (eg walrus training) options are useful for whole body strength and mobility. Traditional bar bell and machine stuff is oriented the to body builder type meathead. Sessions are often 20-30 mins and recovery easier. You don't get super strong or jacked, but so what. Maybe a ball or racquet sport.
ReplyDeleteDude, I’ve seen guys in the gym working through a kettle ball body weight routine staying in essentially the same small area, rotating through exercises with little or no rest, I would not call it lower intensity. If you are motivated it looks like it can be extremely intense..
DeleteAlso consider if hi intensity vo2max bike sprints are appropriate at the moment. They seem to be an attempt to retain 400m sprint fitness. Why not try the lower intensity zone 2 methods. For health and gentler recuperation for your knee. Get back to vo2 when and if. Maybe if you have a track future it is 100/200. Which is another type of training for you.
ReplyDeleteIntensity depends on the weight and rest periods. Some people do it for strength with heavy KB, some use weighted vest/short recovery for a cardio effect, some use it with rotational moves combined with squat lunge for mobility benefits. I err towards the latter and prefer it to BB DL, BP, machines - which are all in straight lines.
ReplyDeleteGot your point. Highly customizable.
DeleteAre you still going with "Sprint Forever"?
ReplyDeleteOr changing it to "Can't Sprint Forever"?
I think your mph calculation is off... 2.5 miles in just over 10 minutes should put you at just under 15 mph. Either way, keep up the great work! 24 pull-ups is phenomenal. My rotator cuffs won't even allow me to try one rep.
ReplyDeleteGravel
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