I am a week ahead with the outseason for some reason testing this week. I did my first Bike test on the trainer today.. prior to the outseason I tested outside and was 340 V02 and 20' ftp was 275w -My goal is to get ftp to 300+ today's test on the trainer V02 was 300W and 20' ftp was 260 -I think if this was an outside test I would be pretty close to 300 definitely getting stronger What do you use for % inside vs outside? I am going to train to these new numbers when I start my get faster plan
I got in my last VO2 workout of the OS yesterday, and also viewed the final episode of '24" Season 4. Poor Jack, will he ever find peace in this world?
Most VO2 workouts I had been doing rest intervals @ 40% FTP instead of 65%. Last week I went back to 'script and did them at 65%, but dialed time back down to prescribed 60/60 instead of the 90/90 I had been doing. Felt at the time like 90/90 might be a bit much, but wasn't sure because the extra 30 seconds of rest would be available. So tonight, instead of 2 x (8 x 60/60) I did (6 x 90/90) + (5 x 90/90), with 3 minutes in between sets. Felt pretty similar - nice having fewer sets, but just required a little more BOOM to get that extra 30 seconds.
So, based on my limited experimentation, I don't see any appreciable difference in HR or overall RPE when varying the rest intervals between 40% and 65%.
I got in my last VO2 workout of the OS yesterday, and also viewed the final episode of '24" Season 4. Poor Jack, will he ever find peace in this world?
In Season 5 he does find true lo--
oh wait, she died.
What a great series! I watched the entire series when I did not have cable when I rented an apartment in Columbia, SC! My favorite quote, "be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet"
Well I finally hit the wall. I had a feeling I would have trouble with this workout with the way I felt after yesterday's workout and the tiredness in my legs all day today and it turns out I was right. I got through the wu and the first set of 6x1/1 (barely) but it was clear at the start of the 2nd set that it wasnt to be, cadence was dropping, RPE was rising and I pulled the plug rather than just sit there and mash along. I'm not the the most mentally tough person but I almost always complete workouts, just not today. Feeling really fatigued (I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this and its only 8:50pm). Plan is to rest up tomorrow (I think sneaking in my usual friday swim drills is a bad idea- probably better to just rest) and reassess for Saturday's FTP wko.
Hey Brian, I am relatively new to power, but on this site and others people talk about as much as a 40w difference between trainer and outside (outside being higher). I have seen 10% written as a general rule of thumb in quite a few places, but it is probably highly individual.
I am back from Disney World and the Goofy (I have been back a week but not posting because I was digging out at work). I enjoyed ready all the posts while in Disney.
I am two days behind everyone due to travel and work. I did the Tuesday workout this morning and was ready to be off the bike by the third set.
@Ryan - Guess that burger and fries wasn't a problem - way to put those calories to use!
@Satish - Hear that - the measure of the OS is whether you come out prepared for a faster season, not whether you can crush every workout. From what you're writing, I'm guessing that rest and nutrition are the keys to a good Saturday wo. Looking forward to hearing how it goes.
@Brian - I generally assume 5% for outdoors over indoors, although I will test specifically for outdoors in late March. That's the number that seems to be about right for me. Other people assume a bigger difference. I have yet to do a controlled experiment.
@Al - With the times you're posting I would just say, "doesn't work" is relative... way to get through it.
@Peter - I've taken to doing all my TR workouts on free ride. Does it call into question the value of TR for me? Perhaps... but more to the point, I like the flexibility of being able to decide on the fly, for example, that I need an extra minute @65% to make the next work set, or perhaps that I can make do with a shorter work interval, or perhaps that I need to break up an interval... free ride works for me.
@Kate - I have come to count on seeing the daily BOOM - shoveling is definitely a creative "cool-down" - great job
@Scott - Enjoy the power meter - power has made a huge difference to my training - I hope and trust power will do the same for you.
--
VO2 done in the bag. http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/174592 Uneventful. Could have done more. Saving up for the weekend - want to hit the long bike, the HMP run, the 3x1k (I am a week behind in the OS)...
Planning to fit in a lightweight swim on Friday AM with an eye toward folding it in more seriously during the upcoming transition week. I'm going to play with the Swim Smooth CSS workouts: http://www.swimsmooth.com/training.html Going to take it easy. Failed to make the FTP target last week, even though I had completed similar workouts previously. Rest. Sleep. Nutrition. Aim...
I am testing this Sunday, so I moved myself ahead in the plan. Today was 3 x 8' (4'), and I felt great - better than I have in a while. Ended up doing: 8' @ 280 (.98) 8' @ 296 (1.04) 8' @ 306 (1.07) Nice confidence builder heading into the test!
@Satish - I've been there a couple of times this OS. Take a rest day and sleep, eat, and hydrate as diligently as you nail these workouts!
@Satish - I agree with Russell on the rest and nutrition part. When I posted the other thread a couple weeks ago about being mentally drained, I skipped my normal Monday Yoga to get a true rest day, and went to bed redonkulously early to get a nice chunk of extra sleep. Made a huge difference, and been flying high ever since. I have to admit, posting that thread and admitting to a lull in my mojo was actually helpful.
I'm sure you'll bounce back and be crushing the tests next week!
I now understand and feel the meaning of spacing your workouts. Normally Wed runs are done in the am, yesterday I did the run at 6pm. Today's bike was done at 545am...NOT enough time. Mentally, I haven't been able to get my head around the 1 min intervals, so have done more 45/45 sets to make the same time. Today, I did them all getting pretty close on the intervals - some higher, some on target and only a few just a couple of watts below the target. I even added in 12 min of 80-85% work.
The funny part in when I got to work I did my monthly body comp test on a highfalutin machine....as I stood on the scale and held the arm things my legs started shaking so bad. I couldn't hold them steady. Started laughing and told the nutritionist about my lack of recovery between workouts.
I will now remember...to...have more time between workouts and am very thankful for a rest day tomorrow.
Seeing all the comments about fatigue and sufferage emails coming in today I wasn't sure I was ready to pound the VO2 stuff out tonight. But I knew I had to get it done so off I went. The little voice was trying to tell me "just bag it and get some Twinkies..."
Once I was locked and loaded, it all seemed to drop into place. Did the intervals as per plan 2x(8x1/1)(2) all ended up above target and surprisingly the last 3 of the second set were the highest of all 16. The IF range was from (1.22 .. 1.34) and averaged 1.26 for all.
Then, not feeling quite done I decided to tack on 15' as ABP @ 0.893
I got the 2x(8x1/1) done later in the day than usual but done. The warming up longer seems to help a great deal with the VO2 max work outs. Man the last 15 seconds of each one seems like an eternity!
Well I held off on the internet in Mexico for 3 days and am now back online. I kind of feel like an OS wimp missing the final week before testing. Well I won't be home until Thursday next week so more than a week off the bike and oddly enough I want to do a ride. I'll probably head down to the guy and get some time in as my knee's been a little jacked up not sure exactly why so this week off is probably good. Keep up the good work.
No BOOM for me. I feel like such a wimp. Had to bail on Thursday's ride and was hopeful that two rest days (T & F) would be enough to get over this bug ... it wasn't. I just bailed on today's ride too. I just don't have any strength coupled with fatigue and a headache. This really sucks!!!!! Going back to bed.
Hope everyone else has a good ride today and I'll join up with you next week. I can't believe that next week is the last of the OS. Woohoo!!
Scotty went BOOM (copyright Katie) this morning, and in a good way! Shows what a difference a week can make, but I felt better this morning on the bike than I have in a while. I got in the Z4 and was able to hold it without too much trouble. I tacked on 15 min of Z3 at the end for a nice 1:30 ride to start the day. Looking forward to testing next week to set my power numbers. Go get em all!
Another BOOM in the books (@ Scotty - BOOMs are for everyone in da Haus, nothing copyrighted there - but calling me Katie, tha's a NO-NO!!)
I don't know what it is, but after a rest day, I always feel a bit sluggish, so I took a bit longer to warm up (I do the 'old' EN warmup of 10' @ z1 and then 3x1' (1') @ z3) by extending the first piece to 15 mins and doing 5 intervals at z3. Worked like a charm. Knocked out the intervals and then did some z3 at the end for a total 1:55 ride. BOOM!
The run after was a real delight. My usual running route is covered in snow, but the roads are clear, so I just jogged around the neighborhood and the change of scenery along with the fresh crisp air and the fact that I just ignored my watch, made it all very relaxing and pleasant.
@ Naomi - sending you much BOOMING MOJO so you feel better for next week!
Only one more week of OS - what am I going to do without you all keeping me honest on a daily basis??
@Kate - you'll still be on a plan - just make sure you post the daily BOOM to the dash - I've certainly grown accustomed to seeing it... @Scott - great work @Naomi - if you're sick, you're sick - mandate is to accept, get lots of rest, drink lots of tea, reset and get after it again - nothing wimpy about it - hope you feel better soon! @Gordon - 1F in Saskatoon right now - good week to go to Mexico - enjoy - there will still be training to do when you get back
I'm still in week 12 of the OS because of an earlier setback - feels like Groundhog Day but with a 2x20+1x12 FTP bike...
Ok - so nobody would buy their kid a book called "the middle-aged man who could"... but we are all living variants on this theme, so perhaps you can relate...
9F when the alarm went off at 5:30AM (this is what sleeping in on a Saturday has become...) Well below freezing in the garage that doubles as the dungeon (for me; the kids get sent to their rooms when necessary, and those rooms are heated...) Nutrition, hydration, off-the-bike warm-ups... and I got on the bike at 6:30 and started to warm up.
It was immediately apparent to me that I would not be able to make the 2x20 FTP intervals today. I was unable to make them last week; I was tired this morning - OS fatigue, plus I spent an hour doing 100yd dash repeats yesterday behind the local running shop while I tried out new running shoes (exploring minimal shoes, but that's another topic for another thread...)
Extended the warmup by a few minutes while I dragged my mind from "know I can't" toward "think I can," and got as far as "open to the possibility that perhaps I can so no need to throw in the towel just yet and I can always throw it in later if I need to..." then tossed the sweatshirt and t-shirt, (part of the ritual), stretched out over the bars and started the first 20.
Eased in, targeting 95%-96% for the first 5m and built slowly - 5m splits were: 96.5%, 98.4%, 99.2%, 100.0% for net 98.4% across the 20m.
Took an extra minute on the rest interval for similar mental process, then negative splits for net 99.6%.
Felt an adrenaline kick about 5m in to the second interval; not quite the scene from the end of Hooper when Burt Reynolds presses the red button on the dash of the Trans Am right before they jump the gorge (remember Pontiac? they made cars...), but it was more than enough to get me through the rest of the interval and then some. Good stuff, adrenaline...
Again, took an extra minute on the rest interval, came out of aero and crushed the last 12 at 101.6%.
I know, that's a lot of drama in writeup of an indoor trainer workout... Still on a little bit of an adrenaline high four hours later (in case you couldn't tell). It's these little victories that make it all so worthwhile, don't you think?
Wasn't pretty but got the wko done: 2x20,1x15. Completely rested yesterday ( thanks for the advice). Still not feeling myself this morning but I didn't want to have two blown wkos so I just pushed on through. Far cry from previous weeks: was out of aero the whole time, cadence was lower than usual and hr was higher. Also only managed .96, .95, and .95. Had a real gut check moment halfway through the last 15' where it would have been easy to quit, but I just started conting down the minutes and finished it off. Surprisingly, the std wu went well, rpe and hr maybe a smidge high, so I'm not sure how much of a good indicator it is for me ( will have to look at the data and see if there is some wisdom there). I have been pretty tired all week and on the ragged edge so I'm pretty sure I'm fighting something off and/ or over reaching. Feeling really fatigued right now so I might skip the easy run and maybe do it tomorrow or do a swim instead. Not sure how much of a major difference a 30' easy trun will make at this point.
Okay, well that sucked. I did the extended warmup for 30 minutes and that was almost a workout in itself and figured things would be okay. I got through the 2 x 20' section in the zone (258 and 257 avg wattage) but I noticed my HR was steadily in the 'Hey, pal, wtf are ya doin' to me?' zone for each one. I extended the rest to 5 minutes. When I started the 15' I soon realized it wasn't going happen so I cut it short at 7 minutes, rested a few and then tried again. Nope. So I reset expectations and did a slow and steady build to sweetspot and then one final dig and good night. That long warm up takes some starch out of you but I'm not upset. I still know I'm way ahead of where I was at this time last year.
@Rich and Satish - ditto. I got in the 2 X 20' plus the 15' at my target AVHR and mph. I managed to keep it all in the big chain ring and didn't think I could pull it off. No run afterward - had a meeting to go to and ended not too long ago. Also, did not get in that glorious Saturday nap. Oh well - better sleep tonight. Will do the 30' Z1 run tomorrow and begin the week 14 taper! Whoo-hoo!
Solid solid work being throw down by everyone. Good work all! Even if you are not quite hitting on all cylinders, take a look back and see where we started in this OS. The sets we're throwing up right now are BIG Boy/Girl sets. You've done a lot of work to get here. Don't let one or two workouts mess with your head. Get your rest/recovery on and crush the testing week!
I'm off the reservation right now with the Tour of Sufferlandria. Totally different type of workout, punchy intervals standing/sitting/ rapidly changing power/cadence targets. To me, much more cardiovascular challenging (instead of the steady FTP burn I usually feel in the pistons during our OS sets). Probably not ideal for the demands of a triathlon, but its hard for me to resist anything labeled a "challenge". I looked and today's workout gave me approximately the same TSS as last Saturday's, so I'm staying close.
DONE with the OS bike ... final test today, gave myself an A. FTP of 220.4. Here are my max HR and FTP in the last 4 tests:
End OS 2012 143 213
Start OS 2013 153 203.3
Mid OS 2013 150 212.8
End OS 2013 147 220.4 w/kg = 3.3 now, target for outdoor FTP/racing weight = 3.5
I guess I'm never going to see again the 4.0 when I had when I was 56. Now 48 hours of rest, then a treadmill 5K for the closeout. I'm shooting for a VDOT between 48.5 and 49.5X. If I hit the latter, I'll call it 50, and give myself an A+ on that test.
@ Al -- congrats on a great bike OS! thx for posting your progression, as it really helps newbies like me see the power of EN. good luck on your 5k -- pulling for a 50!
@ everyone -- great job on a tough session yesterday!
mine was not as inspiring as all of your excellent work...
a combination of life and work stress caused me to bail on the VO2 bike workout on Thursday, so i was quite confident saddling up yesterday. after a false start in the morning (PowerTap battery died) caused me to postpone the session until after lunch, i hit the standard w/u and could immediately feel major fatigue in my legs.
was able to hit the first 20' at 0.95, but when i started the second interval, i couldn't even get back to the bottom of Z4 after a few minutes and decided to dial it back to Z3. Finished that 20' out at the low end of Z3 and did not make it thru the final 15'. Total workout of 75' and some real questions knocking around my head
possible factors in the workout FAIL: overall OS fatigue; work/life stress; too little sleep
worked on the final point last night with a solid 9 hours, will get an easy jog in today and then look to get my MOJO back during testing week
@mike. I hate that powertap battery! I wish there was some warning when it was about to go. I have had the battery die on me twice this outseason. At least it gives up the ghost at the beginning of the workout rather than in the middle. I have decided to change my battery monthly (and before TT etc) due to this issue. It seems a bit wasteful, but...
Don't beat yourself up re the workout. This last couple of weeks has been HARD! Assess, adjust, and move on. As Russ posted earlier: the goal of the outseason isn't to crush every every workout, but to be in position to buid on for your race preparation phase. I think this is an important perspective that gets lost when we are deep in the work. One piece of advice I would have is don't try to make up anything today. Make sure anything you do (if anything) is EASY. Don't compromise yourself for the week coming up.
@Satish - you should be getting around 400 hours out of a PT battery. I have far more than that on mine. If you're not getting 400 hours (and it sounds like you're way short of that), I'd reach out to CycleOps Support: 1-800-783-7257. If you really hate missing a workout, you should be able to go up to 370 hours without any risk... I'd change before a race if I were much over 350, maybe even 300, but every month? That can't be more than 20 hours on a battery... not right. At that rate, I'd have you send me those batteries... but reach out to the PT people first and see what they have to say.
@Mike - "overall OS fatigue; work/life stress; too little sleep " ... that would certainly do it. Rest up and you'll crush the tests - sure of it! Hydrate and eat well, and then, yes, move on... sounds like you have your head around it though - best of luck with balancing all the usual challenges to training!
Comments
today's test on the trainer V02 was 300W and 20' ftp was 260 -I think if this was an outside test I would be pretty close to 300 definitely getting stronger
What do you use for % inside vs outside?
I am going to train to these new numbers when I start my get faster plan
In Season 5 he does find true lo--
oh wait, she died.
Most VO2 workouts I had been doing rest intervals @ 40% FTP instead of 65%. Last week I went back to 'script and did them at 65%, but dialed time back down to prescribed 60/60 instead of the 90/90 I had been doing. Felt at the time like 90/90 might be a bit much, but wasn't sure because the extra 30 seconds of rest would be available. So tonight, instead of 2 x (8 x 60/60) I did (6 x 90/90) + (5 x 90/90), with 3 minutes in between sets. Felt pretty similar - nice having fewer sets, but just required a little more BOOM to get that extra 30 seconds.
So, based on my limited experimentation, I don't see any appreciable difference in HR or overall RPE when varying the rest intervals between 40% and 65%.
What a great series! I watched the entire series when I did not have cable when I rented an apartment in Columbia, SC! My favorite quote, "be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet"
Well I finally hit the wall. I had a feeling I would have trouble with this workout with the way I felt after yesterday's workout and the tiredness in my legs all day today and it turns out I was right. I got through the wu and the first set of 6x1/1 (barely) but it was clear at the start of the 2nd set that it wasnt to be, cadence was dropping, RPE was rising and I pulled the plug rather than just sit there and mash along. I'm not the the most mentally tough person but I almost always complete workouts, just not today. Feeling really fatigued (I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this and its only 8:50pm). Plan is to rest up tomorrow (I think sneaking in my usual friday swim drills is a bad idea- probably better to just rest) and reassess for Saturday's FTP wko.
Hey Brian, I am relatively new to power, but on this site and others people talk about as much as a 40w difference between trainer and outside (outside being higher). I have seen 10% written as a general rule of thumb in quite a few places, but it is probably highly individual.
I am two days behind everyone due to travel and work. I did the Tuesday workout this morning and was ready to be off the bike by the third set.
@Satish - Hear that - the measure of the OS is whether you come out prepared for a faster season, not whether you can crush every workout.
From what you're writing, I'm guessing that rest and nutrition are the keys to a good Saturday wo.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes.
@Brian - I generally assume 5% for outdoors over indoors, although I will test specifically for outdoors in late March.
That's the number that seems to be about right for me.
Other people assume a bigger difference. I have yet to do a controlled experiment.
@Al - With the times you're posting I would just say, "doesn't work" is relative... way to get through it.
@Peter - I've taken to doing all my TR workouts on free ride. Does it call into question the value of TR for me? Perhaps... but more to the point, I like the flexibility of being able to decide on the fly, for example, that I need an extra minute @65% to make the next work set, or perhaps that I can make do with a shorter work interval, or perhaps that I need to break up an interval... free ride works for me.
@Joe - Way to put it in
@Kate - I have come to count on seeing the daily BOOM - shoveling is definitely a creative "cool-down" - great job
@Scott - Enjoy the power meter - power has made a huge difference to my training - I hope and trust power will do the same for you.
--
VO2 done in the bag.
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/174592
Uneventful.
Could have done more.
Saving up for the weekend - want to hit the long bike, the HMP run, the 3x1k (I am a week behind in the OS)...
Planning to fit in a lightweight swim on Friday AM with an eye toward folding it in more seriously during the upcoming transition week.
I'm going to play with the Swim Smooth CSS workouts: http://www.swimsmooth.com/training.html
Going to take it easy. Failed to make the FTP target last week, even though I had completed similar workouts previously.
Rest. Sleep. Nutrition. Aim...
Best!
8' @ 280 (.98)
8' @ 296 (1.04)
8' @ 306 (1.07)
Nice confidence builder heading into the test!
@Satish - I've been there a couple of times this OS. Take a rest day and sleep, eat, and hydrate as diligently as you nail these workouts!
I'm sure you'll bounce back and be crushing the tests next week!
The funny part in when I got to work I did my monthly body comp test on a highfalutin machine....as I stood on the scale and held the arm things my legs started shaking so bad. I couldn't hold them steady. Started laughing and told the nutritionist about my lack of recovery between workouts.
I will now remember...to...have more time between workouts and am very thankful for a rest day tomorrow.
Once I was locked and loaded, it all seemed to drop into place. Did the intervals as per plan 2x(8x1/1)(2) all ended up above target and surprisingly the last 3 of the second set were the highest of all 16. The IF range was from (1.22 .. 1.34) and averaged 1.26 for all.
Then, not feeling quite done I decided to tack on 15' as ABP @ 0.893
http://app.strava.com/activities/38584788
Total bike 63' @ 0.932 - likely one of my best feeling rides in a few weeks.
Great work everyone as we get ready to turn the page into a new chapter!
I got the 2x(8x1/1) done later in the day than usual but done. The warming up longer seems to help a great deal with the VO2 max work outs. Man the last 15 seconds of each one seems like an eternity!
Well I held off on the internet in Mexico for 3 days and am now back online. I kind of feel like an OS wimp missing the final week before testing. Well I won't be home until Thursday next week so more than a week off the bike and oddly enough I want to do a ride. I'll probably head down to the guy and get some time in as my knee's been a little jacked up not sure exactly why so this week off is probably good. Keep up the good work.
Gordon
Hope everyone else has a good ride today and I'll join up with you next week. I can't believe that next week is the last of the OS. Woohoo!!
Another BOOM in the books
(@ Scotty - BOOMs are for everyone in da Haus, nothing copyrighted there - but calling me Katie, tha's a NO-NO
!!)
I don't know what it is, but after a rest day, I always feel a bit sluggish, so I took a bit longer to warm up (I do the 'old' EN warmup of 10' @ z1 and then 3x1' (1') @ z3) by extending the first piece to 15 mins and doing 5 intervals at z3. Worked like a charm. Knocked out the intervals and then did some z3 at the end for a total 1:55 ride. BOOM!
The run after was a real delight.
My usual running route is covered in snow, but the roads are clear, so I just jogged around the neighborhood and the change of scenery along with the fresh crisp air and the fact that I just ignored my watch, made it all very relaxing and pleasant.
@ Naomi - sending you much BOOMING MOJO so you feel better for next week!
Only one more week of OS - what am I going to do without you all keeping me honest on a daily basis??
@Scott - great work
@Naomi - if you're sick, you're sick - mandate is to accept, get lots of rest, drink lots of tea, reset and get after it again - nothing wimpy about it - hope you feel better soon!
@Gordon - 1F in Saskatoon right now - good week to go to Mexico - enjoy - there will still be training to do when you get back
I'm still in week 12 of the OS because of an earlier setback - feels like Groundhog Day but with a 2x20+1x12 FTP bike...
Ok - so nobody would buy their kid a book called "the middle-aged man who could"... but we are all living variants on this theme, so perhaps you can relate...
9F when the alarm went off at 5:30AM (this is what sleeping in on a Saturday has become...)
Well below freezing in the garage that doubles as the dungeon (for me; the kids get sent to their rooms when necessary, and those rooms are heated...)
Nutrition, hydration, off-the-bike warm-ups... and I got on the bike at 6:30 and started to warm up.
It was immediately apparent to me that I would not be able to make the 2x20 FTP intervals today. I was unable to make them last week; I was tired this morning - OS fatigue, plus I spent an hour doing 100yd dash repeats yesterday behind the local running shop while I tried out new running shoes (exploring minimal shoes, but that's another topic for another thread...)
Extended the warmup by a few minutes while I dragged my mind from "know I can't" toward "think I can," and got as far as "open to the possibility that perhaps I can so no need to throw in the towel just yet and I can always throw it in later if I need to..." then tossed the sweatshirt and t-shirt, (part of the ritual), stretched out over the bars and started the first 20.
Eased in, targeting 95%-96% for the first 5m and built slowly - 5m splits were: 96.5%, 98.4%, 99.2%, 100.0% for net 98.4% across the 20m.
Took an extra minute on the rest interval for similar mental process, then negative splits for net 99.6%.
Felt an adrenaline kick about 5m in to the second interval; not quite the scene from the end of Hooper when Burt Reynolds presses the red button on the dash of the Trans Am right before they jump the gorge (remember Pontiac? they made cars...), but it was more than enough to get me through the rest of the interval and then some. Good stuff, adrenaline...
Again, took an extra minute on the rest interval, came out of aero and crushed the last 12 at 101.6%.
I know, that's a lot of drama in writeup of an indoor trainer workout...
Still on a little bit of an adrenaline high four hours later (in case you couldn't tell).
It's these little victories that make it all so worthwhile, don't you think?
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/176963
Only problem is that I KNOW I'm not going to be able nail the run today... WAY too tired...
Have a great day, all!
Wasn't pretty but got the wko done: 2x20,1x15. Completely rested yesterday ( thanks for the advice). Still not feeling myself this morning but I didn't want to have two blown wkos so I just pushed on through. Far cry from previous weeks: was out of aero the whole time, cadence was lower than usual and hr was higher. Also only managed .96, .95, and .95. Had a real gut check moment halfway through the last 15' where it would have been easy to quit, but I just started conting down the minutes and finished it off. Surprisingly, the std wu went well, rpe and hr maybe a smidge high, so I'm not sure how much of a good indicator it is for me ( will have to look at the data and see if there is some wisdom there). I have been pretty tired all week and on the ragged edge so I'm pretty sure I'm fighting something off and/ or over reaching. Feeling really fatigued right now so I might skip the easy run and maybe do it tomorrow or do a swim instead. Not sure how much of a major difference a 30' easy trun will make at this point.
Good job everyone.
Good work Satish - x2 on skipping the run - sounds like benefit of rest exceeds benefit of run - way to stay with it and get it done.
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/178210
2x20 good, last 15' was TOUGH! way to get it done peeps, this was quite a large dose of ftp - it aint easy after 13 weeks of work :-)
Nice work everyone tough workout!!
@Ann - good luck tomorrow!
@Rich and Satish - ditto. I got in the 2 X 20' plus the 15' at my target AVHR and mph. I managed to keep it all in the big chain ring and didn't think I could pull it off. No run afterward - had a meeting to go to and ended not too long ago. Also, did not get in that glorious Saturday nap. Oh well - better sleep tonight. Will do the 30' Z1 run tomorrow and begin the week 14 taper! Whoo-hoo!
Finally here!
I'm off the reservation right now with the Tour of Sufferlandria. Totally different type of workout, punchy intervals standing/sitting/ rapidly changing power/cadence targets. To me, much more cardiovascular challenging (instead of the steady FTP burn I usually feel in the pistons during our OS sets). Probably not ideal for the demands of a triathlon, but its hard for me to resist anything labeled a "challenge". I looked and today's workout gave me approximately the same TSS as last Saturday's, so I'm staying close.
Good luck everyone!
DONE with the OS bike ... final test today, gave myself an A. FTP of 220.4. Here are my max HR and FTP in the last 4 tests:
End OS 2012 143 213
Start OS 2013 153 203.3
Mid OS 2013 150 212.8
End OS 2013 147 220.4 w/kg = 3.3 now, target for outdoor FTP/racing weight = 3.5
I guess I'm never going to see again the 4.0 when I had when I was 56. Now 48 hours of rest, then a treadmill 5K for the closeout. I'm shooting for a VDOT between 48.5 and 49.5X. If I hit the latter, I'll call it 50, and give myself an A+ on that test.
@ everyone -- great job on a tough session yesterday!
mine was not as inspiring as all of your excellent work...
a combination of life and work stress caused me to bail on the VO2 bike workout on Thursday, so i was quite confident saddling up yesterday. after a false start in the morning (PowerTap battery died) caused me to postpone the session until after lunch, i hit the standard w/u and could immediately feel major fatigue in my legs.
was able to hit the first 20' at 0.95, but when i started the second interval, i couldn't even get back to the bottom of Z4 after a few minutes and decided to dial it back to Z3. Finished that 20' out at the low end of Z3 and did not make it thru the final 15'. Total workout of 75' and some real questions knocking around my head
possible factors in the workout FAIL: overall OS fatigue; work/life stress; too little sleep
worked on the final point last night with a solid 9 hours, will get an easy jog in today and then look to get my MOJO back during testing week
@mike. I hate that powertap battery! I wish there was some warning when it was about to go. I have had the battery die on me twice this outseason
. At least it gives up the ghost at the beginning of the workout rather than in the middle. I have decided to change my battery monthly (and before TT etc) due to this issue. It seems a bit wasteful, but...
Don't beat yourself up re the workout. This last couple of weeks has been HARD! Assess, adjust, and move on. As Russ posted earlier: the goal of the outseason isn't to crush every every workout, but to be in position to buid on for your race preparation phase. I think this is an important perspective that gets lost when we are deep in the work. One piece of advice I would have is don't try to make up anything today. Make sure anything you do (if anything) is EASY. Don't compromise yourself for the week coming up.
If you're not getting 400 hours (and it sounds like you're way short of that), I'd reach out to CycleOps Support: 1-800-783-7257.
If you really hate missing a workout, you should be able to go up to 370 hours without any risk...
I'd change before a race if I were much over 350, maybe even 300, but every month? That can't be more than 20 hours on a battery... not right.
At that rate, I'd have you send me those batteries... but reach out to the PT people first and see what they have to say.
@Mike - "overall OS fatigue; work/life stress; too little sleep " ... that would certainly do it. Rest up and you'll crush the tests - sure of it!
Hydrate and eat well, and then, yes, move on... sounds like you have your head around it though - best of luck with balancing all the usual challenges to training!