I can, however, provide some advice based on scientific research: In addition to heart rate you can listen to your body. The level of effort you feel you are putting into an effort is likely to agree with what actual physical measurements would show, researchers have found. In other words, if your body tells you that the effort you are putting in on the bike is moderate, measurements of things like how hard your heart is working would probably show that it really is working at a moderate level. During moderate cycling, for instance, you can sense that you are challenging yourself but that you aren't near your limit.

One way you can estimate how hard to work is by using something called the Borg scale. It was named after Gunnar Borg, the scientist who developed it. The scale is also often referred to as the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale. The numbers on the left of the scale don't indicate how many times or how many minutes you should do an activity; they are just a way of helping you describe how hard you feel you are working. 

For endurance activities, you should gradually work your way up to level 13 ­ the feeling that you are working at a somewhat hard level. Some people might feel that way when they are riding on flat ground; others might feel that way when they are riding up a 3 to 4 percent hill. Both are right. Only you know how hard your exercise feels to you. 

Strength exercises are higher on the Borg scale. Gradually work your way up to level 15 to 17 - hard to very hard - to build muscle effectively. You can tell how hard an effort you are making by comparing it to your maximum effort. How hard does your current effort feel compared to when you are lifting the heaviest weight you can lift? Once you start exerting more than a moderate amount of effort in your muscle-building exercises, your strength is likely to increase quickly.

As your body adapts and you become more fit, you can gradually keep making your rides more challenging. You might find, for example, that riding on a flat surface used to make you feel like you were working at Level 13 on the Borg scale, but that now you have to ride up a mild hill to make you feel like you are working at level 13. Later, you might find that you need to ride up an even steeper slope or ride faster on the flats to feet that you are working at Level 13.

The Borg scale is simple to use. But if you feel that your level of effort doesn't match the numbers you see on the Borg scale ­ for example, if you feel you are doing the exercises correctly, but you aren't progressing or you feel exhausted by your effort - check with your coach to give you more advice on how to use the scale. These experts are likely to understand the science that went into developing the Borg scale, and they can teach you how to match your level of effort with the right number on the scale.

Borg Scale - Rating of Perceived Exertion

Most of you could ride almost as well Lance Armstrong. You probably couldn't ride their times or beat them in a race, but, properly trained, you could as closely approach your potential as they approach theirs. While we each have different genetic gifts for cycling, most of us have the ability to fully realize our promise if we go about our training with intelligence and restraint.

Whether you choose to try and maximize your talent or simply to obtain the greatest possible fitness benefits from your cycling, the results will depend largely on how you train. As we begin the new year, lets explore some of the key concepts used by many great athletes in designing their overall training program for the year. Much of what separates the good cyclist from the back-of-the-pack cyclist is their individuality, consistency, slow progression, fulfillment and goal selection, concepts from which we can all benefit.

1. Individuality. First, you must plan your training to your needs, abilities and routines. While we must listen to the training programs of elite cyclists, read books and articles on training, you must know your strengths and weaknesses. What is good for Lance Armstrong, may not be good for you. The smart cyclist listens to everyone and then selects what is best for them in training. In addition, you must also train your weaknesses, if you are a poor climber, make sure to spend time on climbing technique and building anaerobic power, so you climb better in your first race of the season. Too often, we train at what we are good at already, and neglect our weaknesses. By strengthening your weaknesses you will become a better all-around cyclist.
   
   
2. Consistency. It is more important to do less more often than to do more less often. When in doubt about a ride, the choice that will improve consistency is to be conservative. Often it is better to do less than more. You'll probably avoid the three major reasons most athletes spend time away from training: injury, illness and lack of motivation. Lance Armstrong attributed much of his success in 1999 and 2000 seasons to his ability to train consistently and take a few days off his bicycle every few weeks. He also pointed out the need to monitor his state of health and fitness during a long hard season which lasts from early March to September.
   
   Cyclists often ask me are there any way to determine if there might be "stress indicators" that could predict oncoming illness or injury and help maintain your training consistency. Several years ago Athletics West, the once NIKE sponsored elite track club collected over 40 daily physiological and training measures to see if any seemed to signal future problems. They narrowed it down to three primary predictors of illness or injury that could be monitored without laboratory equipment.
   
   They are: A. M. heart rate, A. M body weight and hours slept. All are simple to monitor and were found effective in monitoring training health and recovery. If your A.M. heart rate is ten percent higher than normal, if your A.M. body weight is three percent less than normal, and if you had ten percent less sleep than normal, you body is telling you it has not fully recovered from whatever stress you placed upon it during the past several days. The more indicators that are abnormal, the more conservative you should be as you proceed in your training.
   
   
3. Slow progression. Along with a consistency in your training should be a progression in training volume and intensity that taxes your body enough to improve it, but not enough to cause it to break down. Again, if in doubt, be conservative. You'll get there. Whether your goal is to climb faster as soon as possible, to finish in the top ten at the National Championships, the season is long and you need to build to a peak during he months of July and August, and not in April. Cyclists that are flying in March are not necessarily the ones with strong legs when the season was winding down in September.
   
   
4. Fulfillment. This can be defined as a challenge or goal you enjoy working toward and enjoy, feeling good about yourself and what you are doing; you need this to psychologically stay with any endeavor. However, if you demand too much of yourself to often, your body (especially your immune and endocrine systems) will be unable to respond to the requests you put upon it. You will be more susceptible to injury and illness, and you may even find yourself even dissatisfied with cycling.
   
   
5. Goal selection. Your goal must be a major race or race series of the season. Your goal could be finishing in the top five in the Regional Points Series or placing in the top five in ten races this season, but it could also be the fulfillment of other cycling aspirations. If in doubt about some matter regarding your training, racing, commitment or equipment selection, the question you must ask yourself is, "How will this decision affect my goal?" Whatever enhances the accomplishment of that goal and doesn't interfere with consistency is probably the best answer.
   
   

Though few of you have all the time you'd like to devote to cycling, you still take it seriously and every once in a while seek to test yourself as a cyclist. Following the above ideas and suggestions will give you a sound and proven methods for better performance in the upcoming season.