The Test

Okay, the results of the test are in! I'll get to some numbers in a minute, but first a little bit about the test. I got tested at Endurance Rehabilitation by a guy named Matt. Matt and I have a little bit in common - he also raced IM Wisconsin in September last year. So, we spent about the first 5 minutes or so talking about the race, the cold, the rain, all those things. That reminds me - I should post my race report, so look for it in the next couple days. Anyway, while warming up and getting everything ready, we just talked about the race. It was cool to hear his perspective and to find out I wasn't the only one who didn't bring enough clothes in case it was cold. I'm pretty sure he finished ahead of me, probably WAY ahead of me, but we were out there together either way.

If you have ever done a VO2 test, you know that it starts off really easy, and progressively gets harder/faster. We did a minute at 5mph pace, a minute at 5.5mph, 6.0, then 2 minutes at 6.5, 2 at 7.0, etc. I went for 17 minutes before deciding to stop at the end of my 9.5mph session. Man, that's a long time with a mask over your face and your heart rate soaring! You see, I'm in the middle of the "base phase" of the training - no hard workout stuff. All my training is at low, very aerobic heartrates. So, when my heart rate hit 196bpm (148 was my aerobic zone top before today), it was quite a workout. After a cooldown, a (very) little stretching, and a shower (for the people I work with!), Matt was ready with the results. It was all very, very interesting. As it turns out, I have up to 157bpm for my aerobic zone (AT=157bpm), so I'll cap it at 152bpm to have a little wiggle room for unexpected heart rate spikes. And my Lactate Threshold is 178bpm. Now I have scientific confirmation of some things I instinctively already knew. I could have raced harder at Wisconsin - I didn't let it go over 150bpm. I can and will race harder at Couer D'Alene, and now I can climb a little faster during training. I am still going to stick pretty close to the 150bpm range, but if it temporarily climbs a few beats I won't worry about it until I get to 155 or 156. And for the shorter distance stuff - Oly - I'm looking at 155 for the swim and first 5 miles of the bike, then into the 160's! All bets are off for the run - up to like 180bpm. Woo hoo!!!

If you have been training for awhile and have never done this test, I definitely recommend it. You also learn about calories burned and % of fat burned vs. carbohydrates. It's all very interesting stuff. Plus, as a side benefit, it narrows the focus of nutrition and exactly how much to eat for those longer days and long races. In my opinion, well worth the cost of learning the information.