M2 REVOLUTION

Observations on our Benchmark efforts for the week of March 2nd:

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March '08

That which can be measured can be improved.

And improve a great many people did - and by quite a bit. Fun to receive notes from excited class members.

"In January of 2007 I was at 140 watts - January of 2008 170 watts, and now 8 weeks later, 210 watts. I think the numbers speak for themselves."

"Very pleased with the results of this week's benchmark. In January I was at 210 watts, and increased to 260. I trust you will continue to help me optimize improvement."

Keep it Simple - Measure what is most relevant, and can be repeated.

Cycling fitness boils down to a simple equation - how much power (watts) can you sustain for a given period of time. Take this number, divide it by your weight, and you have a most relevant fitness quotient.

Decidedly less relevant to the point of being useless would be to measure your fitness with timed time-trial efforts in windy areas. Riding along the San Mateo coast and Nicasio areas with their highly variable winds, one can generate much more power and ride SLOWER from one day to the next - or vice versa - hardly a way to effectively monitor one's fitness.

Lab testing is another fitness measurement option, but it is expensive, can be invasive, and often does little to shed light on the most basic of fitness variables - how much power can I generate for 20, 30, or 60 minutes.

At M2 Revolution, we measure precisely that which we seek to improve, on bikes that are accurate and repeatable, and in a controlled environment that allows us to draw meaningful conclusions from our results.

Consistency yields Power.

There is a direct relationship between consistent class attendance and improvement - who would have thunk it?! Once a week attendance is the minimum, twice a week accelerates and extends improvement.

An interesting side-note is in observing folks who cycle on a regular basis, but who drop in on a random basis - their power/watts never really change much. These folks might think they are advancing their fitness with their particular training approach, but absent any corroborative numbers this is not the case.