Saturday, June 15, 2013

Discovering STRAVA

I'm a very competitive person. In races, I would seek out runners ahead of me and try to overtake them as part of my motivation to finish at a faster time. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes my "impromptu competitor" out sprints me in the end. Either way, it's a healthy way of bringing out my competitive side in sports.

STRAVA is a new source of fueling that competitiveness in me. Thanks to @RoadieManila, I've signed up and have been uploading my Garmin bike rides for about 2 weeks now.


This morning I made my first serious attempt at becoming King of the Mountain (KOM) of the Camp Aguinaldo Fast Climb segment. It's a 700 meter climb with 1.8% incline grade that bikers and runners use for hill intervals/repeat sessions. I warmed up on my first climb, taking it easy and planning out where I will pour everything out and when to change gears when the climb starts to settle.

On my 5th try, I gave it my all with heart rate peaking at 169bpm (I maxed at 170bpm just after that segment ended). I felt that I did enough to beat the 1:34 record set last May 12 by another STRAVA member.

As I uploaded this morning's bike session to STRAVA, my jaw dropped as the Agui Fast Climb segment top notchers were recalculated: I finished in 1:36, two seconds shy of the current record.

Darn it!

It was, however, good enough for joint 2nd place (with 3 other members, including @RoadieManila).

I will DEFINITELY be back in Camp Aguinaldo next Saturday for another attempt at that segment. Hopefully, the KOM title will be mine (insert evil laugh here).

This is war.


1 comment:

  1. Haha! kudos! and glad you FINALLY made the leap after so many months of egging!!!! :)

    Anyhoo, I made an attempt on the Fast Climb last Sat as well but it all ended in failure. First attempt was derailed by joggers marching 3 abreast, forcing vehicle traffic to swerve to my part of the road.

    Second attempt was cancelled by a van who just turned without looking.

    Oh well...

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