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 Using
Web Based Logs - A Personal Story
Written
by:
By Scott
Tomassetti, Technology Editor
In the Beginning
Last March, when tax returns came
back, I decided to try riding my bike
to work (about 10 miles round trip).
I did the usual: researched my options
for bikes, routes to work, and basic
things to know about commuting by bike.
I found some great web resources by
searching “bicycle commuting.”
I also found an organization here in
Connecticut that supports bicycle commuters
called the Central
Connecticut Bicycle Alliance (www.wecyclect.org/
). The one thing I knew from my research
experience in grad school was to keep
track of my progress toward fitness,
but I could not find a cycle-specific
web log/journal. So, I created one called
BikeBlog
(http://fitness1st.net/bikeblog).
At first it was just for me to track
my personal rides, as well as rides
for future users. I included duration,
miles, speeds, and heart rate, along
with a journal area for tracking progress.
During the spring I managed 2-3 days
a week of commutes to work. Being 295lbs
at the time, this was tough, but a good
beginning.
The use of the BikeBlog site helped
to keep me motivated to do more, and
helped me over time to see my improvements
in duration, intensity, and most importantly,
feelings about the riding experience.
For me, logging was essential to adherence
and improvement. Just writing the web
application helped me to stay focused
on my goal.
Summertime Road
Workout and The Garmin Edge 305
When June came and school ended, I
began to ride with my brother in Rhode
Island. He had bought a Garmin
Edge 305 GPS Fitness Computer with
bicycle speed and cadence sensor, (which
I had researched for him, although he
found the best price – www.Amazon.com).
With the Garmin he could not only track
speed, distance, heart rate, and time,
but he added GPS Route Recording and
Cadence (which for cycle training is
paramount). The Garmin has both a stand
along desktop application with a USB
interface, and a web-based application
that synchs with the Garmin once uploaded.
The nice thing about the Garmin is that
you can compare two rides overlaying
each other. When riding the same route
time and again, this will provide direct
comparison views and provide motivation
to improve.
The summer also brought dietary changes,
and the building of a custom bike for
the road ahead… The new bike is
an Aluminum/Carbon frame, carbon forks,
and an Ulgegra groupo with of course
a Garmin Edge 305 equipped on board.
The summer also brought the transformation
of the BikeBlog to become a Team Commuter
Challenge site for other interested
individuals.
Fall Riding
and Back-to-School Commuting
Now that I had the Edge, I less often
used my web BikeBlog and instead went
with the data the Edge provided me.
When riding my bike to work, I was now
able to more easily ride without taxing
my body on the way home up the hills,
and I had by this time lost 50lbs. I
still need to loose about 35 to 40 lbs.
I began to workout at Healthtrax
in Newington, CT, lifting weights and
on inclement weather days participating
in SPIN
classes. When the really cold mornings
began, I again used my web BikeBlog
to log rides in addition to the Garmin
Data. The weekends were spent riding
with my brother, Nick, in the Hills
of Marlborough, CT. Wow! Although my
weight had reached a plateau, my waist
did not. Inches began to drop off again,
forcing me to change belts.
Winter Indoor
Training
During late November, I began to strictly
ride indoors, and during Thanksgiving
dinner I found out that two of the local
bike shops had indoor rides and video
posted on big screens. Therefore, my
winter training routine began with Mondays:
Core/Yoga night at Cycle
Concepts in Glastonbury, CT; Tuesdays
and Thursdays: Cycle Training at Newington
Bike in Newington, CT; and Wednesdays:
at Cycle Concepts in Rocky Hill, CT;
Friday is a day of rest; Saturday: Spinning
and swimming; lastly, Sunday: Core/Weight
Training. This has been the schedule
since December, and I am now feeling
the results of these intense sessions.
Lately, I have been writing a blog on
Blogger.com about my quest, calling
it “The
Thinning of a Fat Man.” I
then post my blogs on Facebook for my
friends and family to view. Also, I
had to change BikeBlog to be more individual
again, rather than team oriented to
accommodate my needs.
Feel free to view my progress at http://fitness1st.net/bikeblog
with Username: Scott_t_ct and password:
cycle (case sensitive). Please forward
all comments to: r.scott.tomassetti@gmail.com
The Future
Hopefully the future holds a fitter
and leaner me, ready to tackle my trip
across the country to Oregon this June!
Wish me luck.
Resources
http://fitness1st.net/bikeblog
- A bicycle specific web log with graphical
analysis tools.
http://bicycle.com
– Bicycle magazine’s website
also has a cycle log that is time centered.
http://newingtonbike.com
– Newington Bicycle Shop in Newington
CT.
www.wecyclect.org/–
The Connecticut Bicycle Alliance website.
http://toafm.blogspot.com
– My Blog
http://www.facebook.com/–
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