Gains

 

I think I have always been generally active and feel I’m slightly better-than-average in the area of physical fitness.  But it really wasn’t until I decided, in 2023, to run a half-marathon that I understood “pushing yourself to your limits”.  I had messed around with running, but I was not a runner by any stretch of the imagination.  I had great support and encouragement as I started on that journey.  Every finished looked like agony.

But I finished the first race and signed up for the second (third, fourth and fifth).  During the training process, I discovered gains—improvements that come through hard work.  I saw them first in my walk/run ratio. Eventually, I saw them in my pace and finishing times.  The gains I made in fitness translated into gains in mental health and confidence.   I was doing hard things and actually enjoying them.  

My focus has shifted from running to biking since my last half-marathon in May 2025. Before June 1, 2025, I had been on my bike infrequently for…um…maybe 20 years.  You read that right!  When our kids were little, we would ride the Ghosttown Trail in Dilltown, PA and the West Penn Trail in Blairsville but the mileage was low and the pace was slow.  The rail-trail system provided a safe, relatively flat or gentle grade that felt doable.  But life was life and my trusty Cannondale got hung in the garage.  Until….

Gains.   Cycling gains.   I didn’t call them gains at first. Yes, there was progress as JB and I trained for our first bikepacking trip from Pittsburgh to DC.   I could see the mileage increase and I tolerated longer rides   There may have even been a little less complaining when it seemed like the gentle grade would never peak.   And we did it…339 miles!!  But what really is a gain in cycling??

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “no pain, no gain”.  I don’t like it.   Partly because I really don’t like pain, but mostly because it carries a negative connotation.  Maybe “no consistency” or “no push” or “no tenacity” would sound better to me.  I know, all these things may involve pain…but,again, I ask: what is a gain in cycling?

For me, it is numbers.  If you have followed my blog, you have seen my progression from a fluid trainer to a smart trainer, from riding along while JB creates a sweat puddle on the floor to doing tests and workouts myself.  I discovered a world of cycling numbers I never knew existed and it gave me a metric I could improve.  I use my Garmin to track power zones and heart rate zones.  At the beginning of the year, I did a couple FTP tests (see previous blog for more information).  At that time, my FTP was 118-120  (1.6 w/kg).  I, honestly, have no idea how that compares to other 55 year old women.  But that became a number I could try to improve   

Zwift has many workout programs available.  One that caught my attention was a 10-12 week FTP Builder.  These workouts have been the foundation of my winter riding.  I tried to average 3 workouts and one free-ride each week.  The program used my FTP score as a basis for over-under rides, gradual build-up rides, tempo rides that pushed (what I thought were) my limits.  At first, I questioned my life choices and was sure I had made a huge mistake.   And then, after showing up consistently, the workouts started feeling easier.   Some days were better than others…some days, I didn’t finish the workout.  And here I am…

Today, I did a repeat FTP Ramp test on Zwift.  To be fair, my original ramp test was done on Biketerra with a 20-minute FTP on Zwift.   My test today was the regular (not lite) FTP Ramp test.   Looking back, I think I should have chosen the “lite” version of the test.  I think the lite version uses smaller intervals and would have been more similar to the Biketerra test.   The program used the previous FTP score in my profile and started the ramp at 120 watts, increasing by 20 watts every minute.  Prior to starting the test, I completed an easy 20 minute warm up ride which helped immensely.  I reached one minute at 180 watts.  The jump to 200 watts was more than I could do, so that is where the test ended.  I think a smaller jump may have been tolerable and would have improved my FTP score a little more.  But, I bumped up to an FTP  of 137 (1.9 w/kg).  That is a gain!

The weather is changing and JB and I have started venturing outdoors.  I have had to laugh a little at some of my “numbers”.   I brought Bluebell, my Giant Revolt, home mid-December, with its first miles recorded on December 13th.  This weekend, JB and I rode part of the Montour Trail (one of the tunnels is closed so the ride was cut short) and I broke 700 miles on my new bike.   In the last couple outdoor rides, JB has said we have set several PRs and I have climbed hills that would have, previously, stopped me at the bottom.

Gains—yes, the numbers show gains.   But I think what I have gained in confidence and courage can’t be quantified by a simple number.