Are You Living It?

This story is an aside to an Active Release Techniques (ART) meeting and training I attended this weekend in Colorado Springs at Champion Health. As a member of CouchSurfing.com  I searched the Colorado Springs area for someone to stay with. I came across the profile of a fellow Couch Surfer, Ryan Kohler, that shared similar interests and I would enjoy meeting, then sent a request to crash on his floor for a couple nights. He was going to be home this weekend and invited me to stay. The meeting was on Saturday, but the only flight that would get me from Medford Oregon to Colorado Springs in time was Friday morning. So I had to figure out what I could do to while away a Friday afternoon. I remembered that the Olympic Training Center was located in Colorado Springs and that there may be a place to get my Lactate Threshold tested. I contacted Ryan to see if he knew of any possibilities. “It just so happens”, he replied, “that I work for Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) as a coach, and we have a testing lab.” Wow!  What luck.

I arrived at Carmichael Training Systems and was given the grand tour. The offices are located in a really cool remodeled brick granary, just West of downtown Colorado Springs. The lab area is located adjacent to a large open room that houses a full bike shop and training area. The lab has an Ergometer (high tech stationary bike) with computerized control and data recording. All I had to provide was pedals, sweat, and blood!

CTS coaches Ryan Kohler and Jane Rynbrandt (pictured above) performed the Lactate Threshold Test on me. It began with a nice warm up of easy spinning, for about 10 minutes. At the end of the warm up Ryan collected a drop of blood from my finger to asses my baseline Blood Lactate level. Then the test began, with a series of progressively harder effort periods that were programmed into the computer. Between each period, and while I kept pedaling, Ryan would take a Blood Lactate sample. Jane would have me report my Relative Perceived Effort and record the data. At first everything feels pretty good. The resistance is increased at 25 watt increments at the beginning of each 3 minute period, and I soon find myself focusing on keeping my cadence up to 95 RPM. The first few finger sticks from Ryan (Count Dracula) caused me to flinch, but after a while I didn’t feel much of anything when he would try to drain an entire drop of blood from my whithering finger. Just kidding, when he was done I could barely see where he had poked me!

The test was all over in about 30 minutes. Once your Lactate Threshold is found there is no need to continue increasing the effort and you just spin down for a few minutes. Though the effort is not easy, the Lactate Threshold Test is fairly comfortable throughout, unlike the effort to failure that is required for a VO2 Max Test. Upon finishing I was shown where to take a shower and get comfortable,  water or sport drink were provided to rehydrate. While I showered, The data was processed into a report that showed my Heart Rate, Power, and Relative Perceived Effort, at Lactate Threshold. These were then used to provide me with specific training intensities, such as endurance, power and recovery. The Lactate Threshold was also shown on a graph, with relation to both Heart Rate and Power output.

I was surprised to find my Threshold Heart Rate to be lower than what I had been using in my training program. I had previously approximated my Lactate Threshold based on a 1 hour maximum effort. This testing has allowed me to coralate my perceived effort sensations while training within Heart Rate Zones, with the actual physiologic changes occurring during exercise. I am confidant this additional knowledge will lead to more efficient workouts. I have been told that training with a Power Meter is likely the most efficient, but currently not cost effective for me.

My thanks to Ryan Kohler for his professional knowledge and his hospitality. As I flew out this morning, he was headed to compete in a local Colorado Springs Mountain Bike Race, living his passion.