The training thread: How was yours? (today/yesterday/etc)

[g-boaf]

I'm just not stopping completely - gradually easing back.

[Xplora]

Not easing off at all! Bubbler Run last night which is basically 2x30 to failure each time and the razorback climb 3 times today. 14 minutes to failure. It was nice to see a good steady state effort for a change. Usually Huuuuge variation, only 5w difference between av watts and NP. Taper time, then race on Sat and Sun.

[toolonglegs]

Did a couple of zwift loops ... warm up lap and pretty hard lap. Managed 343w for a lap ( 12m53s ) or a whole 3.4w per kg .
Hopped off because it was too hard on my hammie ... need some better fans as well!

[JdM]

Enjoy reading this this thread... Keep it up lads... Although it makes me really want a power meter

[g-boaf]

3x10min - 65rpm intervals today, 282, 286 and 288w. I was trying to do 300 for the last interval but legs gave up with 1min to go and the rpm had dropped to 56. That's better than I've done those before.

[Xplora]

Enjoy reading this this thread... Keep it up lads... Although it makes me really want a power meter

If you have quality hills near you, hiring a power meter for the day will tell you everything you need to know. 3 minutes a climb is z5, 10 minutes a climb is z4, 20 seconds a climb is Z7. After using a power meter for a couple years I am concluding that good honest efforts on your favourite hills will target everything you need.

[boss]

Enjoy reading this this thread... Keep it up lads... Although it makes me really want a power meter

If you have quality hills near you, hiring a power meter for the day will tell you everything you need to know. 3 minutes a climb is z5, 10 minutes a climb is z4, 20 seconds a climb is Z7. After using a power meter for a couple years I am concluding that good honest efforts on your favourite hills will target everything you need.

Don't disagree. The powermeter keeps you bloody honest though, and staying honest is not intuitive.

Aborted last night's 3 x 8's. First interval 290w, got to 2 minutes into the second interval and was really struggling. Shut it down.

Tuesdays strong 2x20's and sprint efforts on Wednesday night, on top of the weekend's big efforts caught up with me. No biggie, I'm not a machine, rest today and will be fine for the weekend.

[g-boaf]

and staying honest is not intuitive.

That's in the mind I think. Easier said than done though. Some days it is easier to just say I've had it, don't care anymore.

[kb]

After using a power meter for a couple years I am concluding that good honest efforts on your favourite hills will target everything you need.

Don't disagree. The powermeter keeps you bloody honest though, and staying honest is not intuitive.

And it's nice seeing stronger results from the same perceived effort

[boss]

and staying honest is not intuitive.

That's in the mind I think. Easier said than done though. Some days it is easier to just say I've had it, don't care anymore.

Don't disagree but I was more talking about how through an interval session your perceived exertion can be roughly same but power changes. Say for my eight minute intervals in Z5, the start is manageable but the last minute can be torture at times.

The power meter keeps you honest in a sense that if you're not hitting those numbers it tells you. If you're relying on PE or HR, there's every chance you're not going to get that feedback.

A power meter also allows you to 'throw the towel in with confidence'... days where you feel like crap and aren't hitting the numbers. Because there are plenty of days where I feel less than average, but my numbers are alright, so I know I can proceed.

In essence I don't disagree that all you need is a hill and some motivation, but I wouldn't give up power

[JdM]

No doubt I'll get one over the next year or so... Having come from a running background where the HR monitor is king it has been a bit of a learning curve

[Xplora]

I think the tracking of your progress is very helpful, but it is extremely expensive.

I have been blown away over the past few weeks how bad my TT efforts have become. Head down, smash it out... I wonder if the Qrings distort my DAta but it really throws the curve ball. It would seem my work to get Crit fit has killed my baseline power?

[g-boaf]

No doubt I'll get one over the next year or so... Having come from a running background where the HR monitor is king it has been a bit of a learning curve

A reliable power meter is nice, they are getting cheaper too. And the next bit is understanding how to use it and using the info it gives you to guide what you do, if you want to do that. That takes reading, but it isn't too hard. Then use training peaks and you have the PMC chart, quite useful.

It doesn't have all the social media and kudos stuff of Strava, but it is way more functional in many other ways.

People spend $1500+ on carbon wheels... A power meter is way more useful.

[Xplora]

Or just get both!

[kb]

I think the tracking of your progress is very helpful, but it is extremely expensive.

I have been blown away over the past few weeks how bad my TT efforts have become. Head down, smash it out... I wonder if the Qrings distort my DAta but it really throws the curve ball. It would seem my work to get Crit fit has killed my baseline power?

Have you tried pacing?

[g-boaf]

I was going to do a power test today, but my legs weren't in it. Too heavy and sore. Ended up doing 295w for 12 minutes. and I might have been able to tough it out for another 8 minutes, but I couldn't be bothered, if it wasn't going to happen by 20min of spinning and warming up, I wasn't going to even try for 20min. 265w NP for 45min.

[Xplora]

I think the tracking of your progress is very helpful, but it is extremely expensive.

I have been blown away over the past few weeks how bad my TT efforts have become. Head down, smash it out... I wonder if the Qrings distort my DAta but it really throws the curve ball. It would seem my work to get Crit fit has killed my baseline power?

Have you tried pacing?

Have you raced any crits or road races lately? "go with the move, or go back to the car"

[kb]

Have you tried pacing?

Have you raced any crits or road races lately? "go with the move, or go back to the car"

Ha. I'm feeling lucky if I can cross an intersection before the pedestrians do at the moment. This winter seems tougher than last for motivation.

[g-boaf]

Pretty lazy 77km today. Didn't sleep all that well either. I was nearly not going to ride at all. Glad I did, turned out to be an alright morning.

[JdM]

I did two laps of the Kur-ring-gai Chase National Park yesterday... Parked at Terry Hills, rolled down the hill, then down McCarrs Creek Road, up West Head Road, then the longer climb up Akuna Bay, repeat, back to the car.

About 83ish km all up... I think I went a little too hard, although the rolling terrain makes it kinda hard to hold back

A reliable power meter is nice, they are getting cheaper too. And the next bit is understanding how to use it and using the info it gives you to guide what you do, if you want to do that. That takes reading, but it isn't too hard. Then use training peaks and you have the PMC chart, quite useful.

It doesn't have all the social media and kudos stuff of Strava, but it is way more functional in many other ways.

People spend $1500+ on carbon wheels... A power meter is way more useful.

Yeah I've been doing heaps of reading. Some of it complicated, but the theory all makes a lot of sense.

Or just get both!

[Cul]

I’ve been a bit slack last week; it was a rec week which due to weather and interstate travel commitments saw me do a little more recovery than I would have liked…

Mon: Gym / Core
Tues: Long Easy Ride w/ last hour tempo
Wed: 1hr Easy Ride
Thurs: Fast Bunch
Fri: Fast Bunch
Sat: Repaired and sewed up a Tub.
Sun: Gym/ Core

This week is the start of a pretty solid 4 week Vo2 block leading into our clubs road race championships at the end of the month; races every weekend, structured intervals etc… At the moment I am reasonably happy with my numbers but I am hoping this gives them just a little bit of a push!

[boss]

Super cruisy 80km over 4 hours on Saturday in the rain, and a whopping 10km/40mins on Sunday in the mud on the crossie.

Feeling really fresh today though.

[Cul]

I have been blown away over the past few weeks how bad my TT efforts have become. Head down, smash it out... I wonder if the Qrings distort my DAta but it really throws the curve ball. It would seem my work to get Crit fit has killed my baseline power?

Xplora, I was reading something not long ago about the relationship between CP & AWC (W’), it is entirely possible that focusing on increasing your anaerobic work capacity (W’) can lead to a stagnation or decrease in CP; and vice versa – I found something similar last summer focusing on Criteriums and XCO my short duration numbers and repeatability went up dramatically, but CP held pretty steady – it wasn’t until the last few weeks of the summer season when I started doing longer duration intervals that CP started to rise again. Unfortunately I injured myself at the end of the summer season which was a pretty big setback.

[g-boaf]

Just to clarify the jargon, CP is critical power, and AWC anaerobic work capacity, or at least I think they are.

[kb]

Just to clarify the jargon, CP is critical power, and AWC anaerobic work capacity, or at least I think they are.

And W' (double prime) is preferred these days, as "anaerobic work capacity" isn't quite correct.