Have I lost my mind to consider a HIM? (Page 23)

It's only annoying because you do not have to deal with frozen digits and internal organs freezing up while riding outside..Of course since moving to Colorado from Wisconsin I must say that I am much less interested in riding when it is cold then I used to be.

Cadence question..I used to have a coach that said if your muscles hurt use an easier gear and pick up the cadence..if you are out of breath use a bigger gear. Pretty simplistic.  I think everyone needs to find their sweet spot espeically with the varying levels of fitness or muscular strength. I try to keep my cadence in the 80's partly because my fitness level is not where it should be.  On the road bike I really notice the higher cadence on the flats. I am able to keep the same speed at what I perceive is less of an exertion level when I pick the cadence up.  While mountain biking I really notice the same thing on the hills. Much easier to climb at the same speed using the higher cadence.

However I think everyone jsut needs to experiment and find what works most efficiently for them.  Just watch the tour riders..Jan Ulrich always mashed larger gears at a lower cadence and was still a heck of a climber..but he was much more muscular then most of the other riders.  Pedersen and Armstrong used very high cadence even on the time trials..but again their vo2 max and conditioning were probably better then Ulrich's. 

This is just my opinion and two cents but the higher cadence does help me especially to keep my heart rate down but there is no way I could stay at 90 bpm with my conditioning level.  Have you experimented with a heart rate monitor and keeping the same speed over a couple miles using different cadences? I think it would be interesting to see if there is big difference in your heart rate or not.

Hello All: I just stumbled onto your thread and actually read most of it..seriously.  Anyway..I was wondering if you might have room for someone with a Y chromosome.  I am just getting back into training after a layoff of about 18 months (I have a daughter who is turning 2 the end of November - thus the layoff).  I am also looking to lose weight (currently 231 looking ot get to 185 by summer - havent been under 205 in 10 years)  and am signing up to do the Spirit of Racine..I mean the Racine 70.3 in July of next year.  I'm the guy who knows pretty much everything about diet, nutrition, exercise..but somehow never seems to put everything to use.  I think a group like yours would be very helpful.  For some reason I am much more motivated with female training partners, mentors, coaches then with men. I guess I just don't like the ego that come with testosterone sometimes..I love competition but also love just having fun training and also knowing when to put your ego away so you can learn something from those around you.  Anyway - I would love to join your thread if you would let me.  Also - 2 guilty pleasures of mine: biggest loser and house hunters on HGTV.  Why - I don't know.

Thank you ladies for the welcome. So I guess I should be official and use the proper form..

Wow..two other lawyers..I may change my mind about this group. I actually don't tell people I am a lawyer since I really don't care for them myself.  Luckily the vast majority of what I do is mechanic's liens so I deal mostly with construction people.  And Leah - I may have to disagree with you on the smartest, cutest 2 year old.  Mine is already watching football and yelling fumble when there actually is a fumble. (Don't worry she is only allowed an hour of t.v. at most per day and it has to be sports..her choice not mine.

I would appreciate any suggestions the group can give me regarding nutritional resources or what has worked for you.  I am going to cut the calories and am going to loosely follow the Zone guidelines.  The nutrition is a huge obstacle.  Also..where are all of you at as far as running times?  I am just starting agian.

Leah,
When you ride at a higher cadence and a lighter gear at the same speed you are using less force per pedal stroke. This  
puts the demand more on the cardiovascular system and less on the muscular system. This is important in long events
such as 1/2 and Full IM events. You have a finite amount of muscular force that you can use in a given amount of time,
so by developing the cardiovascular output side you will be less limited. I am purposely taking you out your comfort zone 
by assigning these drills. Eventually, it will get easier and you will already have the technique that is comfortable in
your skill set (slower rpm, harder gear) to use when needed. You should develop a variety of pedaling techniques so that
you can apply the most effective technique based on the demands of the event. 

We are 4 days from home, in Brawley, CA.   I will be able to talk by phone on Mon/Tue next week.
Cheers,
Rick

---- Leah Davis  wrote: 
I have been working at keeping my cadence up, which is hard.  Explain to me why I care about keeping the cadence 
up.  There are things that I notice, like on flat terrain that it is "easier" to pedal at a cadence in the 80's over a cadence 
in the 70's, but eventually I get too tired from that and have to drop down to a slower cadence until I recover and then 
I can pedal faster again.  That seems to be inconsistent and I wonder if I am nuts.  Anyway, I am working at this, but 
just trying to understand what I am doing and why.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Leah
***************

By way of explanation, he is currently on a charity ride across the country and now is almost back home.  The Biking
Cadence thread in Triathlon Talk finally did get some good answers and once you get away from the advice of finding
the cadence that is right for you, what they say is pretty much what my coach said.