My Morning Commute

[jnva]

@sethpo 80877 wrote:

Are folks using their commutes to get in a really tough workout?

Yes, i do. Usually Monday and Fridays I take it easy and work hard Tuesday – Thursday on the commute home. On the weekends I’ll run a half marathon from vienna, through LFP and back to vienna on the CCT. It’s also a great mt bike loop.

[hozn]

I use the commutes for a workout; it is pretty much the only time I have for exercise so I try to make them count. I need to get better about rest. Today was a rest day — I was tired — so I try to keep HR down below 65-70%. Generally I try to do long stretches in the 85% area. Some short harder efforts. I am not very scientific about it; I am sure I could “train” more effectively, but what I end up doing works reasonably well to keep me in shape.

[Geoff]

@sethpo 80877 wrote:

What percent of max effort do folks normally commute at?

The Custis makes up about half my commute. I don’t push hard in the morning, but in the evening I try to push hard on all the hills. I don’t push on the flats because the Custis is too narrow and curvy, with too much traffic, to be a safe place to speed.

If you find yourself playing leapfrog with someone – pass him on the flats, get passed on a hill, etc., it just might be me.

[dkel]

When I started commuting on the W&OD back in September, pedestrians used to pass me on the Virginia Ln climb (not kidding). Now I can scamper right up there! No KOMs, to be sure, but I’ve been getting a workout on the commute for six months, and I push it whenever I feel up to it because I like the challenge, and I’ve seen real results (including 20 lbs of weight loss). My knees have been feeling tired and sore this week, so I’ve gone pretty easy, but who knows what next week will bring. Now that winter is abating, I have enjoyed passing fair-weather roadies out on hills for the first time since the fall, on my hybrid with my 32s, fenders, pannier, lights, etc. In your face, sissies!

[oldbikechick]

My commute (until very recently) has been up the Custis, which has been good for me since I find it motivate, but I at least get some exercise going up those hills. I end up pushing myself based on how late I am getting to work or getting home. My all time best time was when I ordered a pizza from work and then got held up and barely made it home in time to meet the pizza guy.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@sethpo 80877 wrote:

I was riding home at a leisurely pace when I got to wondering: What percent of max effort do folks normally commute at?

Obviously, inside the district or other dense urban areas this really isn’t relevant but when you are on a fairly open trail or road, how hard do you push up those hills?

I think I’d say I go between 60 and 70% on average. I rarely feel in the mood to really “kick it” hard. Are folks using their commutes to get in a really tough workout?

I go pretty hard, although it back it down on days I have class, since I don’t want to get too sweaty. But some days, particularly when it’s warm, I go almost all out for the 7.5 miles. I’m somewhat impatient too, so I have a hard time riding “slow,” and my commute is hilly so I find myself pushing decently hard up every hill without even thinking about it.

[vvill]

@TwoWheelsDC 80892 wrote:

I go pretty hard, although it back it down on days I have class, since I don’t want to get too sweaty. But some days, particularly when it’s warm, I go almost all out for the 7.5 miles. I’m somewhat impatient too, so I have a hard time riding “slow,” and my commute is hilly so I find myself pushing decently hard up every hill without even thinking about it.

This ^ except I don’t have class. I back it down if I’m feeling particularly tired and obviously on the MUPs but I find it tough to ride less than maybe 85% intensity on a commute, or any ride really.

[americancyclo]

I tend not to get to the “lungs burning and I’m going to throw up” stage, but I do like me some speed and I nearly always have a hard deadline for daycare pickup. I do find though that there are many areas where it doesn’t pay to push it since I know I’ll get stopped at a light anyway

[ShawnoftheDread]

I push it if I have a clear road or trail and use traffic or light timing as a break.

[dkel]

I had to ride to work today in the rain. I didn’t see many bikes, but there were lots of runners out. Obviously runners aren’t as bright as cyclists, or they wouldn’t have been out in the rain.

Like I was.

[Steve O]

In the almost 20 years I’ve been bike commuting, I have generally used it as my workout, too. I’ve had several different length commutes: 6.5, 8, 10, 8, 17, 12, 13.2, 13.5, 0, and now about 5 miles. Those of you who I see at FCC know that lately I’ve been commuting in my street clothes. I found it difficult at first to “dial it back” on the ride so that I could do so without sweating much (summer will add a challenge to this).

However, I miss the workout. If I can get my routine down, my plan would be to lengthen my morning commute to 10-15 miles of N. Arlington hills 2 or more days/week, but still generally go easy on the ride home. Check back in 6 months to see how I’ve done.

A couple of weeks ago, I did this–took a 12-mile hill ride in. When I got to Rosslyn and had to stop at a light, I caught myself whistling. Bike commuters are the happiest commuters. The physical exercise is good, but the mental health benefits (at least for me) are even a bigger plus.

[rcannon100]

@sethpo 80877 wrote:

I was riding home at a leisurely pace when I got to wondering: What percent of max effort do folks normally commute at?

As the official slowest guy on the trail, my commute is also my exercise (and my spiritual time and my therapy). I do the @#$%@ Arlington Hill every single day. I consider that my “max” hill training. I get dropped going up the hill by people going down the hill. But whatever. I’m still breathing, unlike the dough-boys at work who get on the elevator and mash the button to go one floor. It’s just damn good to be alive, and outdoors, and gliding down the trails.

And yeah, the cyclists and other athletes at work, all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all of their children are above average (well… not my kids…. but anyway).

[ebubar]

I find I can’t push too hard if I want to make my 30 mile roundtrip commute every day of the week. I need to go slowish to conserve energy for later in the week. Hopefully I’ll improve my speed as I get into better shape.

[cvcalhoun]

Sorry, but having been #1 in the Tortoise category in Freezing Saddles, I consider my credentials as “official slowest guy on the trail” impeccable! I like to think it’s because I have a 64-lb. bike and do a lot of my riding up either Wisconsin or the Capital Crescent Trail. But I have to admit that I consider it a good day when I’m able to pass a toddler on a tricycle. And alas, this is my fastest pace.

@rcannon100 80913 wrote:

As the official slowest guy on the trail, my commute is also my exercise (and my spiritual time and my therapy). I do the @#$%@ Arlington Hill every single day. I consider that my “max” hill training. I get dropped going up the hill by people going down the hill. But whatever. I’m still breathing, unlike the dough-boys at work who get on the elevator and mash the button to go one floor. It’s just damn good to be alive, and outdoors, and gliding down the trails.

And yeah, the cyclists and other athletes at work, all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all of their children are above average (well… not my kids…. but anyway).

[PotomacCyclist]

I generally ride at a moderate effort on bike commutes. That plus the fact that I usually commute on CaBi means that every other cyclist tends to zoom past me. I do OK on bike splits in Olympic-distance triathlons. I won’t win anything but I’m usually somewhere in the middle of the pack, so I’m not the slowest person out there. But on commutes, I don’t feel like pushing it hard.

Maybe because I like to schedule any hard workouts separately (usually on my tri bike or occasionally on a spin bike). I also don’t want to get too sweaty on a bike commute.

On flat stretches, I probably ride at 50-60% of max, sometimes a little harder, but sometimes easier. Anywhere from Zone 1 to 3 (effort zones). I don’t hammer up hills. It’s hard to do that on CaBi. I keep it in the lowest (of the 3 gears) and spin up as best I can. I like to plan hard efforts (hills, speed, long rides) on a more careful schedule, while I can add shorter, easy rides throughout the week or month. (I don’t bike commute that much in the winter.) I like to save my legs for the planned hard workouts, to make those count and to avoid getting burned out by riding hard all the time.

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