Discussion: So do you sense that you ar...

So do you sense that you are getting fitter? Is the hard work paying off?

I think so. It's hard to know for sure as I've not tested myself in a controlled way, but I can't believe I'm not improving. I certainly feel stronger than I have in a long time. I'm having fun too, so even if a test proved that gains are small, I'd keep going. I will have to think about putting a gold standard test in place for comparisons in the future.

The best gold standard test shows that you are actually faster with very controlled variables. For example, a climb that takes you around 15 minutes done only early in the morning when the wind is very light. With any test, motivation is key, as is being well rested (the same for each test).