Computrainer Calorie Calculator

Perhaps one of the most overlooked numbers when training with a Computrainer is the calorie counter. Everyone knows their CP30, watts per zone, heart rates but does anyone pay attention to calories? I think more people should and I'll let you know why.

During a recent tempo ride, I decided to watch my calorie counter and determine how many calories I burned for a period of time. I recorded calories for several one minute intervals and for a couple ten minute intervals. All the intervals averaged out to thirteen calories per minute. Utilizing that information, for a thirty minute tempo ride, I would burn 390 calories and for an hour tempo, 780 calories.

Thirty and sixty minutes are important benchmarks since most triathlons I do are either twenty or forty kilometers which take under thirty or sixty minutes respectively. In a race situation, I can expect to burn at least 390 or 780 calories. Since triathlons start with a swim, by the end of the bike, I've burned at least 500 or 1000 calories.

Armed with this knowledge, at the Pelican Fest triathlon, I decided to have a gel on the bike. Even though a gel doesn't contain 500 calories, by taking on calories during the bike, I started the run with more calories available. I think this had a definite impact on my run which was one of the fastest I've had in a long time.

Without the calorie calculator, I wouldn't have know how many calories I was utililzing and would not have realized how important even during a sprint triathlon a gel was.

Someone once said that Ironman was an eating contest and I think that applies to triathlons of all distance. Consume calories when you can to maintain your speed as long as possible.