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!