Marginal Losses



So I’ve made the great jump to the modern age. I tried this once before in 2008-9 and although both myself and Laurent Fignon had serious doubts about it at the time it did work. Then I was using a heart rate monitor and in no really scientific way I was very conscious of going into the red too early or too late or whatever but it worked. I was able to judge efforts so much more accurately and as a consequence was moving reasonably fast for a fat bloke on a bike.There’s more technology around now than ever before so it is the year to train with that technology properly. The last time I got pretty obsessed with it and I suspect that this year will be no different. Then I trained in the right zones, measured efforts and amended the zones based on everything I had learnt. I made adjustments to position on the TT bike based on what it did to my heart rate and ability to stay just outside the red for a 10, 25, 50 or 100. It didn’t always work but I learnt from it and knew more about how I felt when I woke up to trek up the A1 at 5am then I ever did before or since. I warmed up properly and warmed down properly and more importantly trained properly because something appeals to the cyclist about numbers and efforts and spotting trains. So this year I have installed a powermeter on my TT bike. Not just any powermeter either the one that British Cycling use that measures everything and with an accuracy that the most punctilious would find favourable. I have installed a Verve Infocrank. This is a big step for me as a cyclist and a human. I gave up on the HRM having cycled over the Himalayas and thought cycling could just be fun. I now know it needs to be fun and serious again as my 11 year old is getting closer to me when I put the hammer down. As a human and a Northern Rugby League fan it is very difficult to swallow as Infocrank are Australian. For those who don’t know I was nearly two years old the last time we beat Australia in a test series but what can you do if the the most accurate bit of kit is made in the land down under.Swallow your pride and pedal. It has been on a few days and I can’t wait for the marginal gains to become so significant that I manage a great 25 again. But hold on what’s this Laurent? Look at the data for the last two sessions. Mmmm? Look! What? Laurent the balance is 70-30 yesterday and 60-40 today. So? So it’s not natural is it? You leg droit is merde! Au revoir. Laurent…. what do I do? It seems in the last four years there have been no marginal gains but a significantly less than marginal loss. Has anyone seen my right leg?