Following a route and chasing segments

Second run with the Garmin. Never thought I would get such good riding in during March but I guess you take what you can get. I'm meant to be spending my time in the gym this month getting ready for miles in April when the weather picked up enough, but I hate the gym and this was a good excuse to avoid it. And I certainly got more out of the ride. Playing around with the Garmin more I decided to plot a route on the computer first and then follow it. I was out to find a few quite roads around Western Toronto including park paths, as well as a few little short sharp climbs with a couple of Strava segments.



The thing about these Strava segments as I would find out as my ride went on, is that when you know whether they are you tend to max out your effort for them leaving you with nothing in the bag upon completion of it. You have to regroup before you can continue all in the aid of achieving the best time. It's like a computer game in which you are actively involved. You are the character.

One on this particular ride was a 0.2 mile double switchback lump with a gradient of 8.6 percent. You've seen worse and you've certainly seen longer but when you know it's a segment you for some reason go all out to try set the best time you can. My heart-rate maxed out at 202 beats per minute at that moment and when I hit the top, instead of riding on as I might otherwise have, I had to back off for a gulp of water and let the heart rate normalize itself.

What is it with us cyclists? Why do we weak out these damaging little climbs to thump ourselves out, punish ourselves? Why not weak out the descents instead? I guess it's the inbuilt sense of achievement. It's why man wanted to climb everest. Not for the pleasure of doing it, but for the pleasure of achieving it. And how quickly the body soon forgets the pain that is inflicted upon it and is suddenly ready to go again. As I sat on top of that little rise with my heart pushing through my chest, I wondered why I bothered with these stupid segments that only encouraged burn out rather than enjoying a long, steady ride, but no more than four miles through a couple of residential streets and a park path I was faced with another segment and off I set once more, too the limit in search of a record.

As it turns out I made little mark on any of the segments. The short sharp little climb took me 1:01 at an average of 10.7mph and with an average heart rate of 194bpm and 475 watts. Good only for 22nd of 35. The leader somehow pulled his bike up in 33 seconds. That's a mind bending average of 19.8mph at 147bmp with an output of 642 watts. Untouchable for me, but I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't anxious to go back and have another crack at improving my 22nd place. I just have to be careful not to get into the habit of putting segment record efforts in front of a good old fashioned steady distance ride in the countryside.

As for the final segment -- the one I unknowingly went through on my first day with the Garmin -- I misjudged were the finish was and stopped for a water break only to find out when I got home that I was still in the segment and thus blew any shot at what was shaping up to be a good time. I'll go back to it soon.

The Garmin is certainly a fun device. Either for creating a route or indeed following a route. It's going to really add a new dynamic to cycling this summer. I can't wait to get some bigger miles in as the weather really improves as well as tracking the mountain bike races I enter this season.

Post-ride weigh-in: 198.2 lbs (That was 217.6 lbs on October 16, 2011 and 212.8 lbs on January 12, 2012).