Timing Peak Fitness, Raising FTP, Training Calendars and More – Ask a Cycling Coach 258

TL;DR

New cyclist finds cycling harder than running, despite similar heart rates and wattage floor issues on rollers, and wonders why.

Transcript

welcome to the podcast is dedicated to making you a faster cyclist the Aska cycling that's presented by trainerroad I'm coach Jonathan Lee with our head coach Chad Zimmerman everybody our CEO nate pearson hello and Cannondale and trainer rhodes amber Pierce how you doing Jamie I'm doing well how are you doing Jonathan it's good to have everybody he... Read More

Key Insights

• 👶 Cycling can feel harder for new cyclists compared to running, due to the cognitive load of learning a new sport and technical challenges on rollers.
• 🥰 Perceived effort and heart rate can vary between running and cycling, even with similar levels of exertion.
• 👟 Caloric expenditure can differ between running and cycling due to factors such as body weight and efficiency in each sport.
• 🤣 Wattage floor issues can occur on rollers, especially for lighter cyclists, impacting the ability to reach desired wattage levels.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does cycling feel harder than running for this new cyclist?

Cycling can feel more challenging due to the cognitive load of learning a new sport and the technical difficulties of riding on rollers. Additionally, perceived effort and heart rate can be different between running and cycling.

Q: Why does the new cyclist burn more calories while running compared to cycling?

Caloric expenditure can vary between running and cycling due to factors such as body weight and efficiency in each sport. Running typically involves more weight-bearing movements and impacts, leading to a higher caloric burn per mile compared to cycling.

Q: Why does the new cyclist struggle with wattage floor issues on the rollers?

Wattage floor issues can occur on rollers, especially for lighter cyclists, due to the resistance mechanism and bike setup. It may be challenging to generate enough power at low speeds, resulting in difficulties reaching a desired wattage.

Q: How can the new cyclist address the difference in perceived effort between running and cycling?

It's important for the new cyclist to recognize that perceived effort and heart rate can be different between running and cycling. With more experience and training in cycling, the perception of effort may change over time.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The new cyclist is experiencing the cognitive load of learning a new sport and the technical challenges of riding on rollers.

• Heart rate and perceived exertion can be different between running and cycling, leading to a discrepancy in perceived effort.

• Caloric expenditure can vary between running and cycling due to factors such as body weight and efficiency in each sport.