Back on the bike after a long break

I dare to get back into it

Until 2005 I enthusiastically pursued cycling with ambitious goals (e.g. Adidas MTB Trans Alp Challenge 1998, participation in the Ötztaler Radmarathon 2005). After that, the focus became more and more on work and my scope of training was limited to the weekends. Since 2019, I have resumed ambitious training and trained 4-5 days a week. Due to the now older age and the strong demands of the job as a department head, there was little training progress and signs of overtraining.

While looking for a structured and targeted training with a higher scope and limited time, I came across the Vitalmonitor through a long-time training partner. The approach of measuring in the morning and after every training session, which initially seemed very strange and time-consuming, now gives me a lot of confidence that I am training well and healthily.

Successes with the vital monitor

Initially I used the vital monitor with great enthusiasm to adjust the intensity of the training on a daily basis. After about 3 months, however, I noticed again that the training was too hard overall. The real success and enthusiasm of using it came especially in connection with a very good coach (Bernhard Schimpl). Using the online functionality, my coach has immediate access to my measured values ​​and can adapt the training on a daily basis. In my opinion, it is also essential to carry out performance diagnostics, as this is the only way to reliably get the right training areas. In the meantime, I have significantly increased my wattage and took part very successfully in the Grandfondo St. Gottardo in Switzerland. I'm already at the level I was at 30 years old. In my opinion, this is a success of the vital monitor, which protects you from training too hard, especially when daily stress is high or illness is imminent.

My conclusion

Because of my training, I am naturally very open to new technology and try out a lot. After my training partner first told me about the vital monitor, I thought “just another gadget” and “the effort is too high, what’s the point?”. For example, I also wear a smart watch (Garmin Fenix ​​6s) all the time and receive training recommendations here. I still compare the recommendations from the Garmin universe with those of the Vitalmonitor and have to say that the Vitalmonitor is still the more reliable partner today. I am also enthusiastic about my coach Bernhard Schimpl.