30 Days Ago, Needed Oxygen, a Walker, and a Home Health Aid to Leave The House. Today...

[Catalyzt]

Second ride post catastrophe. Three miles this time (increased from 2.6), 282 feet of vertical (instead of 80 something), 73 watts (increased from 59) and 20 minutes (increased from 17.) Did not use turbo, about 55% motor off completely.

I can now walk three miles in a day (in three or four separate walks) and swim about a quarter mile. So measurable improvement over eight days. I've also gained back 10 of the 20 pounds I lost.

SO glad I got Nightmare! 36 pounds, but feels like 46 in my current condition! I can still barely get it out of the garage, but at least I didn't have to TAKE A NAP this week after doing that!

And 55nm of torque vs. 40nm is a huge difference, at least the way the Bosch is set up. A lot of work, yes, but did not feel like I was pushing past 70% of my current capacity. I have to really be careful because my wrists and arms are weak, too; I can still go over potholes or cracks in the pavement, I just have to make absolutely sure I am positioned correctly for them. I can't muscle my way out of a mistake the way I might have previously.

Good girl, Nightmare! (She's a little bored, but really glad to be getting out of the house again.)

 

[DaveMatthews]

Way to go mate! Keep it up. Slow but sure will get you back.
Job well done!

 

[stompandgo]

Tracking your progress is a great motivator. You are listening to your body as well. That's all good. Please take a moment, maybe on your next ride, to take a deep breath and give yourself an attaboy for all the hard work you have done so far.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I have to really be careful because my wrists and arms are weak, too; I can still go over potholes or cracks in the pavement, I just have to make absolutely sure I am positioned correctly for them.

So many aspects of the act of riding that I never think about. Imagine programming a humanoid robot to deal with all that.

Glad you're making such good progress.

 

[Catalyzt]

I am at that point where I still -- just barely -- benefit from a hospital bed, but I'm also -- just barely -- able to ride.

I did kind of prank my wife. When she came home, as expected, she asked, "What is the bike doing there?"

My answer: "She was hungry, I'm feeding her."

At which point, my wife rolled her eyes and totally figured out I'd set her up for a one-liner. How do I know she is female? Well, because she's heterosexual, and I see how she reacts to male bikes.

I'm still using this thing mostly because we're doing noisy home repair projects upstairs and I REALLY need the extra 45 minutes of uninterrupted sleep, but also because the incline of the mattress is helpful-- I have to figure out some way to duplicate that in the bedroom.

Ride #3 Post Catastrophe -- not a big jump in average power, just up to 75 watts from 72, but significant increase in time, distance, and elevation. 29:30 minutes, 4.2 miles, 423 feet of vertical.

For these short little fitness rides, it is amazing how long the battery lasts. It held its charge for... 9 weeks, I think? Only lost a few percent from just sitting there. Then three rides, and I fed her when she was down to 15%.

It did not feel great while I was riding, but felt much better the next day, except for my hands.

 

[Catalyzt]

So guys, is "Average Watts" the best single metric for tracking the amount of effort I'm putting into each ride?

It seems like it probably is-- this factors in terrain, for example, how much assistance I'm using, but not how long I'm using it, is that right?

Ride #4 Post Catastrophe -- shorter at 3.7 mile and 23:30 minutes, but 82 watts. Inching forward.

Pre Catastrophe, I was more like 92, 98, or 100 watts.

This is really interesting, because I can't track other activities quite so precisely.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

So guys, is "Average Watts" the best single metric for tracking the amount of effort I'm putting into each ride?

It seems like it probably is-- this factors in terrain, for example, how much assistance I'm using, but not how long I'm using it, is that right?

Surprisingly complicated topic. Several different whole-ride averaging methods in common use. The best one for your situation depends partly on how you're riding these days.

If you're stopping or slowing a lot along the way, the weighted average often called "normalized power" would probably be the best way to track your effort day to day. Specialized calls it "adjusted rider power". This is the whole-ride power metric I generally follow.

A raw, unweighted time average might be too noisy in your case, but it's said to be better for short efforts (under 20 min). Specialized calls this "average rider power".

There's also a strong argument for comparing the same metric before and after your catastrophe.

See if you can find documentation for the rider power metrics available on your bike.

 

[stompandgo]

When racing, I used AP for the base total ride metric, and IP and 3 second power when on the bike. For your purposes, I would recommend AP.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

When racing, I used AP for the base total ride metric, and IP and 3 second power when on the bike. For your purposes, I would recommend AP.

If AP is average power over the whole ride, which average?

In a race where you never stop and have few low-intensity intervals, guessing the raw unweighted average would be the best reflection of your effort.