UCD research programme, let's see the results

I was participating as a volunteer in a research project at the UCD couple of weeks ago. The programme was very interesting and I have to say it was pretty exciting to be part of it. Once I finished the project I was very curious to see the results, after all I haven't done laboratory tests for 7 years. 

All the testing is done (4 sessions) and I am after receiving the test results, here they are:

                     age: 29

                     height: 165,8 cm

                     weight: 51,8 kg

                     body fat: 7,6 %

                     VO2max (absolute): 3,18 l/min

                     VO2max (relative): 61,4 ml/min/kg  

                     Maximum heart rate @ VO2max: 199 bpm                

                     Power Output @ VO2max (absolute): 340 W

                     Power Output @ VO2max (relative): 6,56 W/kg

                     Maximum VE (minute ventilation): 139,6 l/min

                     Maximum Rf (respiratory frequency): 62 bpm

                     VT % VO2max (ventilatory treshold): 65%

                     Maximum RER (respiratory exchange ratio): 1.28

                     Total EE (energy expenditure during VO2max test): 112 kcal

                     Maximum lactic acid: 11,9 mmol/l

Graph of the VO2max test (1 session)

Graph of the active recovery session (4th session)

So, it's all there. I'm happy to have this kind of information in relation of my performance in the off-season. Some of the results are good, some others are not so good. The ones that I am particulary happy with are the 6,56 W/kg relative power output (highest out of 19 participants), the 199 bpm max heart rate and the 11,9 mmol/l lactic acid. 

I said it before but I'd like to say it again: it was such a great opportunity to participate in the researh programme. Without it I wouldn't really have the chance to get all these useful datas indeed. 

What about the final result of the research? The main question was which recovery type works the best for each individual (19 cyclists). For me the active recovery was the most effective, then the passive and the least effective was the stimulation type. But it is only for me though, it could be different for everyone. 

Let's burn off the Mince Pies!

Enough is enough! Christmas was great and everything but it is time to get back to normal. I've been sitting around and eating too much in the last little while. The mission for the day was to get on the bike and get the legs turning and let the lungs open up a bit after all the laziness.

The first feeling that hit me this morning when I got back on the bike was the demand for a real XC spin ASAP! 

So the decision was pretty obvious, I hit the road that leads me to Leadmines and the great Epic Club Course to be precise. This course is my favourite whenever I feel like I want to ride on some sweet XC race course with all the sharp switch backs, rough roots and some steep kicker climbs. Just simply can't beat it! 

I cycled out on the road through Dundrum and Stepaside and got there pretty quickly. Lucky enough, but it was still early so the place wasn't full of walkers and dogs which was certenly a nice thing. I got to the start of the course and started my training wich was 4 laps on the 2.6 km long club course. 

I felt a bit slowish for sure in the first and second lap but got the pace higher during the third one. Well, obviously still way behind the standard that we call good lap time, but my best lap time was 15:23. Here is something to improve before the racing season kicks in! :)

After the 2 hours and 20 minutes and 37,4 km long spin I got home right in time for lunch. I had good time on the bike indeed, riding on that course is always great. I can't deny: I feel the "side effects" of the Festive Season but it'll go away with very little work and I get back on track within few days for sure.

Christmas in my home

My Christmas is going absolutely great and I'm really enjoying myself during the Festive Season. Being home in very relaxed atmosphere in beautifully decorated apartment and havin' lovely food all day long is great of course. :) 

I like this time of the year 'cause I think the preparation is great: getting stuff ready, wrap presents, decorating the tree, preparing fantastic meals and spend time together.

 This year we did stay in Dublin to celebrate Christmas. So while we ejoying the time here on the other hand we miss the family from Hungary, would be cool to be together.  

I have captured a little Christmas spirit during the last two days: 

The challenge for the day: get the Christmas lights in order

A little cyclist touch on our tree

Lovely (non-alcoholic) mulled wine with spices

My wife Anett made some super yummy ginger-bread treats, I can't stop eating them :)

Even if I enjoy every moment of the Christmas but I also have to admit that I already miss cycling a good bit. So the plan is the next: I get back on the bike on the 27th and get out for some Christmas-treat-yummyness-calorie-burning spin! But until then I keep havin' good time and I wish the same to all of you! :) 

Night ride is the name of the game

We were planning this night ride spin for ages but there was always a problem to pull the things together. But tonight finally we got out to have some fun filled off-road spin at night. I rushed home from work after we closed the shop at 7 pm and got the gear ready in no time. I was ready to rock at 7:30 pm when my friend Csaba got to my place. We fitted the lights quickly and we were on our way up to Threerock.

Dublin at night, just simply beautiful

After we got up to the top the plan was the next: hit the Metro 1 & Metro 2 trails and fit some sweet dark forest sectors between the two. It was a very mild evening, but the wind was pretty challenging I have to say. Once we got up to the opened sector of the top trail it was a serious task to not get blown off the trails. It was great though! :)

These are some of the best photos:

'Cause it wasn't cold and the whole thing was absolutely fantastic this was possibly the best night ride that I've done for a long time. Some of the real dark trails were epic especially 'cause the mud was brutal at some points. Difficult tecthical trails, full of roots, full of mud at night...what more can I ask for? :)

At one point we stopped and switched off all our lights to see how dark the forest really is. Needless to say that it was super dark! Literally we seen nothing but pitch black forest in every direction apart from the tiny little brightness that came through from above. It was mental and also quiet spooky so we switched the reflectors back on and kept going.

It was pretty late when I got back home, it was nearly 10:30 pm. The spin was great, we had good time on the bike and some of the trails are very memorable at night time. The clear riding time was 2 hours which isn't too bad for a night spin I guess. Good weather, cool trails and dark evening. For me this is the perect recipe for a decent night ride! :)

Happy Christmas everyone!

Christmas is just around the corner, only a couple of days left until the Festives Season. I'm keeping busy to search for presents and get things ready for Christmas. Possibly I'll spend a bit less time on the bike in the next week or so, and most likely I'll have some serious eating sessions during the holidays. Will be great for sure! :) 

I'd like to wish Merry Christmas and Successful Happy New Year to everyone with this Christmas card that couldn't be any more suitable for cyclists! 

Enjoy the holidays! :)

(2001 - 2011) - Ten fantastic years of racing

Hmm...the end of this year is a big milestone for me: I race XC mountain bike for 10 years now. I started in 2001 and since then I raced more or less continuously back in Hungary and here in Ireland as well. After these years I can say there's no better way to live than race bicycles, no doubt about that!

My collection (as many as I could keep)

During the last 10 years I've been lucky to visit fantastic places, race against great mountain bikers and many-many good friends and enjoy every moment of racing. Every race is different but equally unique to me and that's the beauty of the whole thing. I can only hope to be able to do what I'm doing for very long time 'cause in racing I find everything I can possibly can get from riding my bike. 

Progressing through the UCD research programme

During the last 2 weeks I've been envolved in something more unusual beside my regular training routine. I started a Research Programme in the UCD Human Performance Laboratory, so I've been visiting the lab couple of times to get some testing done. It is something that I've been doing many times back in Hungary and I am simply interested to do, so this is the main reason why I sent my application as a valunteer.

The programme is designed to analyze the difference between 3 recovery types: passive, active and low-intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and see which one of them is the most effective. After the first session where my maximum level been tested the remaining 3 sessions are following a very strict, controlled protocol. 

Doing my warm up during today's session

The test itself is very short but very brutal and intense in the same time. After a short warm up I have to work on the 105% of my maximum effort that has been tested on the first session. The test goes to absolute exhaustion, until I can't turn the pedals any longer... Needless to say, it is super difficult task! 

Off the bike straight away and start the 30 minutes recovery routine (each session is different) and during this time blood samples to be taken in every 5 minutes to check the level of the lactic acid in the blood. The samples to be taken from the tip of my fingers 'cause of the blood capillary. 

During my recovery time with the electrical stimulation pads on my legs. Feels a bit weird but kind of good! :)

Once the 30 minutes recovery time is up it's time to get back on the bike and get ready for the last big effort: 95% of my maximum is the resistance that I have to deal with as long as I can. The rule is the same, the test goes to total exhaustion. Off the bike again and two more blood samples at the end. And that's it, I'm finished!

Each session is the exact same but the recovery type is different each time. The bike is perfectly set up and the computer controlled protocol strictly follows each step of the pogramme. Everything is timed and very precise. 

At the end we'll have the answer what researcher John Malone is looking for: which short term recovery type is the most effective between max. intensity sessions?

Participating in the research project is very exciting and cool. I'm glad to be able to part of it and honestly can't wait to see the results at the end! Only one more session to go! :)

"The Pilgrimage" (ThinkBike.ie WW Spin) - story of the cold day

The tale of possibly the coldest mountain bike spin for a long time...where to start? The plan for today was to get on the Wicklow Way and go as far as we can. The lesson has been learned: plan is one thing, to make it happen is another one. 

The first thing I had to realize this morning was the very cold temperature. I looked out the window and I seen nothing but ice everywhere. After I got up at 6 am and had my lovely breakfast then I was scraping ice off the car as a warmup session. Job done, let's go to the Palmer's Pub carpark where our meeting point was.

Shortly after I got there the car got nice and warm so I knew it'll be a real challenge to get out to the sub-zero conditions.

Yeah! Feeling comfy in the warm car! :)

All the lads started to arrive too shortly after, so it was time to get ready. Got changed quickly and after about 10 minutes all of us were ready to go in the freezing and still dark winter morning. 

All good to go

The first and far the most important thing for me was to get warm (as much as it can be achieved in -2, -3 °C) and stay warm. I think I put on all the winter clothing that I found at home. The main issue on the bike for me is getting the feet and hands extremely cold, it must be some sort of blood-circulation problem but it is killing me every winter. So I put on my pair of SealSkinz socks and a SealSkinz + windproof double gloves combo. Turned out later it was essential though! :)

So, 8 of us left the carpark shortly before 8 am and started our long journey accross the mountains towards Glendalough. We got warmed up quickly enough on the steep Kilmashogue climb and by the time we got up to the end of it the sun came up as well. It was absolutely amazing! 

The conditions were tough but it got even more tough when we hit some of the real rocky sections of the trail. All the puddles were solid ice and needless to say about the surface of the rocks. Was lovely but quiet challenging at some places.  But after all the extrem icy stuff we could relax a bit on the fire road climbs.

Waiting for the guys to re-group before we kept going

That smile was frozen on my face...very cold but happy time on the bike. Just keeping up the good faith! :)

Quick group photo and off we went

We started to settle into some lovely and quick pace and got closer and closer to the spectacular Powerscourt Waterfall. It is a tough enough climb to get up there but it worth it every time indeed. 

Still stunning view!

After we passed by the waterfall the consistency of the group started to drop a bit and we just started to spend more and more time with re-grouping. That's fine, but not the best to stand around too often and for too long in freezing cold weather. At that point all of us started to feel the cold and we made the decision to turn back home instead of keep going. So we did get as far as Djouce and there we cut off the trail and hit the tarmac road that leads back through Enniskerry. From there we got back home in no time. To be honest I got back home on my own 'cause the lads stopped to have a coffe in Enniskerry but I was pretty cold so I rather kept going to stay as warm as I can. 

Back at the carpark after nearly 3,5 hours 

We cut the spin short but I think it was a good decision considering the temperature. We have done 46,9 km under 3 hours and 25 minutes. The total elevation gain was 1312 m and the temperature stayed below 0°C for most of the time. 

check the details of the full spin on Strava.

The map of today's spin

Elevation / speed graph

Let's describe this mountain bike spin with couple of words here: great, cold, fantastic, tough, special. I had great time on the bike once again, I loved every bit of the spin altough I lost faith couple of times when I hit some of the nasty icy patches along the rocky sectors. Fun, fun, fun! :)

Been selected to UCD research project

I have got an email about 2 months ago that was about some very interestig research programme at the Institute of Sport and Health, UCD. I thought that could be very cool to participate in research project as a volunteer, so I sent back the application form. Good couple of weeks later I got the phonecall and the good news: I got selected to participate.

" An investigation into the effectiveness of low-intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for short term recovery between maximum aerobic cycling trials. "

Now, it's sounds interesting all right! Back in Hungary I've done similar tests and I think they are very useful for training and recovery also. Even they are about 100% exhaustion but somehow I really enjoy to do them and see the results afterwards. So, I was familiar with the nature of these tests and because I haven't done any of them for about 7 years I was very curious to see how much my performance has changed over the years. This was probably the main reason why I entered to this research project.

I'm very happy to be able to be part of this programme, it is something I'll really enjoy indeed. I can't wait to see the final results after the 4 sessions in 2 weeks time. Once all the testing is done and I have all my results in hand I will put on a little bit more detailed post for sure. Testing in laboratory? Cool stuff! :)

Back on the mountain bike

Today I decided to get back to the mountain bike for the change and have a lovely off-road spin just to mix up the winter training. I spent most of my time on the road bike lately but I missed the muddy, wet and slippery off-road spins so much, I just wanted to refresh the feeling a bit. I do not regret it for sure! 

This is what I mean: I see nice stuff on the road bike but nothing compare to this

I had my new training parter with me today. Raphael from France is into triathlon (he is getting prepared for an Ironman in 2012) so he is fit as hell I have to say. The XC mountain biking is pretty new to him though but it was great to have him there, he was setting the pace very well good couple of times. Good stuff man! :)

We got lucky with the weather today, it was dry. That's the main thing I guess, however I think it was savage enough because the wind was absolutely mad out there. That and the low enough temperature gave me the feel of a proper winter spin and I just simply did not believe my eyes when I seen lads on the mountain wearing shorts... What is up with that?! In the last 6 years I have adopted to the Irish weather a good bit, but I think I will never see the day when I cycle in shorts in 5-6°C in December. :)

We spent 2 hours and 20 minutes on the bike which was perfectly enough to feel the cold by the time I got back. Shower, warm ginger tea and a lovely lunch were waiting for me at home. 

The well deserved dessert: chocolate pancakes with strawberry souce & cream

Today's spin was perfect to see why I love mountain biking so much: the place was simply beautyful, I enjoyed every minute of the spin. Mud, puddles, wet roots everywhere. What a way to spend the Saturday morning! Great!

"The Pilgrimage" - ThinkBike.ie 1/2 Wicklow Way Spin

Here is possibly the last thing this year that I need to prepare for in terms of going for some nice & long spin on the mountain bike. The idea was there for a while but John at ThinkBike came up with the suggestion couple of days ago "Why not get it done?!" so we decided to give this mad spin a go before Christmas, especially because the weather is still good.

It is always cool to get involved in stuff that my club organizes so here is it again: I'm taking part of this club spin as one of group leader since I did ride this part of the mighty Wicklow Way many-many times before. The plan is to ride to the half way point and then cycle back home on the tarmac road. It is difficult to estimate but it will be a savage long mountain bike spin indeed! Can't wait! :) 

Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 - riding on dream wheels

 

I was always wondering what it's like to use some of the real high end carbon fibre road wheels on the bike. The ones I never had a chance to try until now: I was given a set of Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 carbon fibre set of wheels for testing and to see the difference myself. Now, they gave me such a nice impression and there is so much to talk about  I can only hope I don't miss anything in this post.

Little bit of a work in the workshop and the bike was ready to go

I spent my lunch time to get the bike ready for the test spin and after all the necessery changes and adjustments it was all good to go. Beside the extremely high cool factor that makes the bike look absolutely amazing the first thing was the huge weight difference of the overall weight of the bike. 

Cork brake pads to be fitted to be suitable on the carbon braking surface

 

Here is some technical talk on the wheels: 

As the name shows they are 50 mm deep carbon fibre rims (clintcher model). They are Bontrager's mid-depth wheels and the HED-designed broad rim and rounded profile provide one of the most wind-stable 50mm wheelsets on the market. With big graphics, glossy cosmetic weave fairing section and bladed white spokes, these wheels are very eye-cathing.  

Here is the front wheel...

...and the rear one

Both wheels have 16 bladed spokes. They join to the hub without any specific design and they are going through the aero deep "V" profile before they join to the rim. As a result of that the nipples are hidden.  

My first impression was when I took the bike out for the test spin that these wheels are very fast. Every time I started to accelerate and build up speed the bike responded better and it was just super easy to gain speed. Also I loved the noise that comes from the wheels as they cut through the air! It was cool! :)

I had them only for one test ride so I wanted to give them a proper try and see how do they work in pretty much every riding situation. Now, many people say that these deep profile wheels can be little bit flexible on climbs but since I am a very light cyclist I have no trouble with that. I actually think they are very good on the climbs and it seems like the rigidity is not an issue at all. Because the rolling resistance is lower they are giving completely different characteristic to the ride, however this really comes out on flat roads. 

Ready for some sweet climbing session :)

I have noticed a massive difference on flat when cruising is the name of the game. Wow, it is so amazing how easy to maintain the speed on these wheels. I was testing the wheels and also the legs so had couple of savage burst sprints and the result was surprising: maximum speed on flat road without tail wind was over 55 km/hour and the cruising speed was very close to 40 km/hour. If it is like this on my own I can't even imagine how good they could be in the bunch during road racing! :)

Now, of course there are couple of questions as well: how practical they would be for a small rider like me? I mean I can picture how serious trouble I would be in when I get hit by some of the savage Irish side winds... 

I would also worry about the quality of the road surface 'cause every time I got close to a pothole or a very bad quality patch on the road I started to sweat big time! Of course they are race set of wheels (really only for racing), they are not just for riding around but still. I just simply would worry to damage them and on their price level it would be a complete disaster though...

Just a last shot before I gave them back...my heart was broken a bit though! :(

My overall impression is absolutely great on these superb set of wheels. It was fantastic to try them out, especially 'cause I don't think I can afford them for a long time. I think a set of wheels like these bad boys would be absolutelly beneficial for anybody who is racing on the road properly! If I would get into road racing and I would have a possiblitiy to use them on the bike I would be very happy indeed. 

I'd like to say a big thank you to John Clarke at ThinkBike for lending these wheels for me to test them out. I really appreciate it!

Recovery road spin in the cold

This morning I hopped on the road bike to have a nice and easy recovery spin. I left at 8 am and I have to say this morning was the first time when I really felt the winter. Yep, winter is here for sure! 

Cold but still absolutely lovely winter morning

At some places the road was even a bit frosty...

After I struggled through the usual morning traffic mayhem (which was even more ridiculous then every other day) I hit some sweet and quiet back roads where I could finally really enjoy the ride. I was dressed up well for the 2 °C temperature but I might have mistaken when I didn't put the warmer pair of gloves on. Well, I paid the price later...

I cycled out on the N81 to Tallaght and took a left and started to climb up towards the Military Road. But I was forced to turn back and choose a different destination. I was chased by a huge dog that was loose in front of some farm on the side of the road. Now, it is funny now, but back there was not at all. He was really grumpy and I just simply didn't want to risk and serious damage. :( 

So I started to head out towards Brittas on the back roads. It was simply lovely. Still very cold though but great! By the time I got to Brittas the day was nice and very sunny. I loved it! 

Sunny morning in Brittas

From Brittas I took the N81 back to the town that made the ride home super quick indeed. The whole idea of this morning's spin was to have a relaxed bike ride. Just to have the legs turning but nothing mad. 

I have covered 45 km  of distance under 1 hour and 50 minutes which was just enough for today. After I got home the hot shower was necessery and helped a lot to get the blood circulation back to normal in my hands and feet.

I enjoyed this spin but I have to admit that I need to get prepared for all the savage and super cold times on the bike. Will be tough but hey, winter is here and it is just part of the life of the cyclists! :)

Heading towards the mountains once again

I am just back from another good road spin and since I have to admit I having difficulties to keep my hillclimb demand under control I decided to head towards the mountains this morning. The plan was to get over the Sally Gap 'cause I haven't been there for a long time. I left at 9 am from Milltown and crossed Stepaside, Enniskerry to start the climb up towards the Sally Gap.

After I got shocked (in the good meaning of the word) how many mountain bikers were up in the Ballinastoe carpark, I settled into a steady pace as I climbed next to the fantastic looking Lough Tay. That place always amazes me! :)

I just simply can't cycle by this without stopping for a second

Now at this point the weather started to turn into a bit more serious, the temperature has dropped a good bit and the whole place got more and more savage as I got closer to the top. Once I crossed the junction I started my super fast downhill towards Blessington and the N81 that leads back to Dublin.

The road surface was wet and the rain started to fall as well, so I was very careful on the way down. Now, of course I was very tempted too to get some nice speed going where I had a chance to do it safely. So I let the bike go couple of times and as a result I got the maximum speed as high as 67,3 km/hour. Sweet! ;)

Bend after bend and I was getting closer and closer to the main road that I wanted to use as my route to get back home. Thankfully the rain has stopped not long after I started my descent and of course the temperature got more friendly too.

Excellent view, isn't it?

After I hit the busy N81 I settled into some noce and steady pace and I got back to Dublin in no time. I got throuh Tallaght and Tempelogue and got home just for lunch what I really needed at this point indeed. 

Elevation and speed graph

Today's spin was excellent, I really enjoyed myself on the bike. I have done 75 km under 2 hours and 50 minutes with avarage speed of 26,6 km/hour. I am happy for this though 'cause it is good pace for me considering all the climbs along the way.

Now, I am ready to have a very relaxed afternoon at home with my wife Anett. Will watch some movies and have some gorgeous pastry that she made earlier on. What a way to spend my Saturday, hah?! I certenly can't complain! :)