Use it how? Use it or lose it, they say; but how do I do that?

I\’ve got lots of ride data. Years of it, in fact. Now, how can I use it to tweak my training, and to become a better cyclist?

I\’ve always logged my ride data in notebooks. All very fine and well, but the notebooks just sit there. So far I haven\’t done much to determine whether I\’ve truly been making progress. I\’m not sure whether my average speed has improved; or whether I can now ride at a specific speed at a lower heart rate than previously. Over the last year I FEEL like I\’ve gotten stronger, but perception isn\’t necessarily reality.

Even though I seldom look through my notebooks full of ride data; and they take up quite a lot of room; I can\’t quite bring myself to throw them out. Here\’s where a spreadsheet might come in handy. Unfortunately I\’m not the most analytical person in the world; and trying to fill out spreadsheets with years\’ worth of numbers would make me cross-eyed!

Besides, as indicated in the post linked above, speed (to give one item of ride data) can be affected by many factors. Fierce headwind? That would slow down most folks. Hills? I seldom get to try my mettle in hilly terrain; and when I do have to deal with hills, my pace really suffers. Visibility problems in fog or rain? Slowing down is only common sense.

One of these days I must pore over all those ride records and try to determine whether things have changed for the better. I did the work to get all that data. But use it how? That eludes me.