General Heat, and the Q Ring Initiation

7 lbs. That's what I've lost so far this week to the heat. No matter how much I drink, I can't get it back on. I hate to see June close so hot, especially after such a cool and wet May, but it's Indiana, right? Here's hoping for some moderation in conditions after the weekend.

My riding seems okay at the moment, but my running has wilted. Forget about running fast - how do I cover any distance? My hip continues to linger as an issue, no surprise there. Add to that the high humidity/dew points, and there is no joy in the Sauconys (Sauconies?). I will get what I get and not worry about it for a while. No use in getting down about it. I have at least been able to run with my cross team, and I will be happy with that.

Today was the day I went to get my bike set up to use the Rotor Q Rings, an oval chain ring designed to be more efficient. There is plenty of documentation out there describing the concept, so I won't belabor that point. The thrust is the oval shape allows less stress when your leg stroke moves off the power portion. This in turn reduces stress on the leg at this point, supposedly dropping knee pain and lactic acid build up. Many triathletes are beginning to migrate to them because the transition from run to bike is much easier due to lower lactic acid build up.

So after getting the main ring on (there was no small ring to sample), I went out for a spin. It would have to be a quick one due to the storms building to the west. It was risky, but who ever accused me of being smart? The following would be a list of my quick-hit thoughts based on one (1) ride:

• I had expected some sort of oblong pedal stroke, where I would feel a pulse. In fact, I didn't feel a thing. To me, it felt like a regular ring. I am a pulse-pedaler though, and other riders might notice it more than I did.
• I very quickly noticed an increase of 1-2 mph on climbs. 
• I never felt an ounce of burn in my legs. At times my heart rate was pretty high due to the stress of the week, and that was more a limiter on my performance than my legs. 
• My average speed bumped up in the 1-2 mph range overall. This can be attributed to better climbing, though even on the flats it seemed I could just smoothly crank the pedals. Had I been fresher I could have really had a go at some segments, which would have been interesting because there wasn't wind enough to be favorable or unfavorable in going either way on the out-and-back course. 

Disclaimers: 

• This was ride #6 on this bike, and the truth is, I will notice speed increases as I get used to it and it's tuned in better. 
• I don't believe I put in any harder effort for this test than I ordinarily would, in fact, I would say probably the opposite. As I'm physically pretty tapped right now, I would want to look at several rides over time to see what it does when I'm a bit more normal. 

Summary: If my ride experience continues as the first ride, this purchase will be a no-brainer. 1-2 mph increase in average and in climbs? Riders spend thousands in wheels to get the same increase. At $260, this would be a bargain. 

I do wonder though... once a rider acclimates to the reduced stress in the off-power portion of the stroke, well... does one lose fitness? Weird analogy... the moon has 1/6 the Earth's gravity, and astronauts can jump vast distances while there. HOWEVER... when they return to Earth, their muscles have atrophied because of reduced stress. I guess what I'm wondering is, in the long haul, do the rings actually WEAKEN a rider?

Food for thought...