Garmin zone 2 or zone 3?

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SpokeyDokey

67, & my GP says I will officially be old at 70!
Moderator
Background; I was ill last year with a kidney problem that has left me with 31% function in one kidney. Cest la vie.

I put on a lot of weight last year but have dieted hard since the start of the year with considerable success to date. Still a way to go though.

Over 1 year off my bike and just getting underway again.

So my plan is to ride in Z2 until my weight is back to normal as this burns fat.

And then switch to Z3 to build cardiovascular strength.

Is this simple plan a good one? Or any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any advice proffered.
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
Generally I ride in Z1 and Z2, perhaps 80/90% of ride time. I do drop into Z3/4/5 but this is when I'm working hard - broadly speaking Z3 would be pushing hard with a group on flat and rolling roads or a two solo hour training ride at 16 avg, Z4/5 is for climbing. Most rides my HR average is 110/115bpm.

Most of my riding is endurance 60+ miles and I want to be able to chat with buddies while riding. Depending on conditions we average 14-16mph. On Monday, for example, I rode 94 miles at 14mph average, Z1 25%, Z2 69%, Z3 5% we chatted all day. It was a challenging ride with 5700 feet of climbing and constant headwind of +/-17mph. HR average 108bpm.

If your interest is overall fitness I suggest Z1/2 riding interspersed with Z3 efforts during the ride. 80% Z1/2 and 20% Z3 spread through the ride. I wouldn't try to ride in Z3 for an entire ride except on short training rides. These are rare now!
 
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Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
It sounds as good a plan as any. Translated into non numeric language it sounds like: Take it easy and when that feels OK push on a bit.

Just keep listening to your body.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I wouldn’t connect your cycling to any weight loss strategy. That’s mostly about diet. You definitely don’t want to get into the mindset of “I’ve burn that much, therefore can eat this much”. Weight loss takes time, at least if it’s to be sustained, so don’t do anything drastic.

Starting with Z1/Z2 in other words easy / moderate cycling where you can have a conversation (if with anyone) is a good start. You’ll need to choose your routes so you don’t stray too high to start with. The kidneys and heart are closely linked, and you’ll need to keep on eye on things with reduced function. As it warms up, definitely keep an eye on hydration as exercise can put the kidneys under strain.

Don’t be too ambitious with distances or the amount of climbing to start with. It’s easy to get caught up in what you used to be able to do, rather than what you can currently do. Try and make it so that when you finish a ride, you feel you could have gone further or harder. Don’t come back whacked.

When ready. A occasional sprinkling of some higher intensities , maybe up a hill or short section of empty road will do you good. If this is for general health, with no specific cycling target, then this will be good enough. You don’t need to do a large amount, consider Z1/Z2 the cake, and the Z3/4 the icing on top. No need to get into training plans and optimising fitness.
 
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