Maxin'

All I can say is wow... I mean WOW!!! Although I've been laying low on the blogosphere it's not an indicator of what's been happening in the 'BoomerNation. The last few weeks had me traveling to the east coast, training with a new swim coach, completing a bunch of 3+ hour rides, and running through the world's greatest bike and running paths. Ahhhhhhh... the northern spirit that inspires and soothes me came along for the journey as promised. Her provident direction keeps me moving towards the promise of more to follow.

Along the way I stopped to test my VO2 Max on the bike. The two questions I wanted answered by the test were what's my optimal fat burning heart rate zone and have I put in enough base building training before kickin' it up a notch?

Here are the charts and the numbers:

My VO2 Max is 43.6

This chart below shows that Zone 2 is where I burn the most fat vs. carbohydrates at an optimal rate:

The next chart shows my aerobic base (AB Line) flattens out for 34 heart beats per minute range before reaching my anaerobic threshold (AT Line). The goal is to bring the AB and AT lines closer. It also suggests that, yes, my body is ready to handle increased training intensity.

Here are my training zones. An increased amount of my training will be in Zone 3.

Next is the chart displaying my heart rate zones and total caloric and fat caloric usage. Zone 2, at 128 beats per minute, is my optimal "go forever" rate.

Stay tuned...