Jan OS Week 6 Bike thread
Here we go ladies and gents with the real deal on the bike this week:
Tuesday: 2 x 20' FTP (Advanced plan)
Thursday: Same 15' worth fo 45/45s
Saturday: 2 x 12', 1 x 6' FTP. plus a bit longer run
Hint: If you have trouble on the 2 x 20, don't feel too bad about taking an extra modest break and turning them into 20, 10, 10 or even 4 x 10. But if you're ready to go, 2 x 20' is the real test.
Good luck!
Tuesday: 2 x 20' FTP (Advanced plan)
Thursday: Same 15' worth fo 45/45s
Saturday: 2 x 12', 1 x 6' FTP. plus a bit longer run
Hint: If you have trouble on the 2 x 20, don't feel too bad about taking an extra modest break and turning them into 20, 10, 10 or even 4 x 10. But if you're ready to go, 2 x 20' is the real test.
Good luck!
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Comments
I'm pretty sure the Saturday bike workout will feel like a beginners workout when you did the 2x20 on Tuesday hehe
Wednesday Bike - 2X10 (cant run because of calf issues, so i am going to bike instead)
Thursday Bike - 5 X ( 4 X 45/45)
Saturday... i have not looked that far ahead
I love the bike workouts. they actually make me happy because i can see improvement.
I planned to ride with former EN-er Matt Ward and the scheduled workout tonight was a main set of 2x20'(4') followed by a 40' brick run. Midway through the warmup Matt announced he was scrapping the 40' brick, so I quickly made the call to take a gel that I originally intended to save for the recovery interval mid-ride / pre-run. At that point I also figured that with no run I might as well try to overshoot my usual ~250ish watts and try to equal the 255 I hit in the first of Saturday's 15' intervals.
I settled into the set and was pretty much right on 255, so I decided at the 10' mark that maybe I'd be in a position to audible the workout at the recovery and do a test interval. After all, my last-tested FTP was 239 in week #1 and I have been regularly crushing that, including the 2x15' set on Saturday at 255 (1.068) and 260 (1.088) followed by 5' at 173 (1.143). So I figured that even if I didn't hit the Saturday numbers (and I could feel that was the case…my legs were more tired today for sure) I'd end up with a higher number in any case. My HR was also pretty low which implied I had some upside in the next interval even if my legs were tired. So I didn't push for any "extra" and figured I'd see how things stood at the end of the first 20'.
At the 20' I had 256 watts so I figured the stage was well-set for a new number even if I didn't put in a "kick" into the first interval. I confirmed with Matt once again that there would be no run, and suggested we go for the 2' recovery. He agreed so we started on the second 20'.
Well now that I was going for the new FTP I was a bit overzealous kicking off the second 20'. My first 1' was 262 watts but that was clearly not sustainable. I decided to just try to maintain more than the 256 I had in the prior interval. My legs were really tired so I knew I'd have to take more than the usual couple of 1' periods out of the aerobars. Matt was coming up to do 1' of big gear standing work every 4' so I mimicked that until the second half where I lost a watt on the lap average so came up a minute early at the 13' mark and then decided I'd take another minute at the 16' and 18'. As with every 2x20' FTP test I've ever done I was somehow able to jack my power up a bit in the final 5' and get another watt on the average…I saw 257 at around 17' and made it my goal to just hang onto that so the second 20' would beat the first 20'. It is amazing how the mind games pass the time. Between the planning for each of the 1' sit-ups and the wattage calculations in my mind I was at the 17' mark and in the homestretch before I knew it!
Overall a new FTP of 254 – apparently I only lost ~3 watts in the 2' recovery – which is significantly above the 239 in week 1…a gain of 6.3%. It is my highest-ever indoor test by ~10 watts although in prior years I did not have a fan in the room and indoor temp was around 70 degrees (vs. 57 today). I'm up a bit weight-wise from last year…hovering in the 138-140lb range, so that puts me at 4.00-4.06 w/kg. Not bad at all for Week #6 of the outseason. Last year my peak outdoor test was 256 at about 1lb lower body weight so I'm on a good trajectory for this season.
Overall FTP calculated: 254
Interval #1: NP 256 (5-min segments: 255, 255, 257, 255), VI 1.00, HR 160/169, cad 89
Recovery: NP 154
Interval #2: NP 257 (5-min segments: 257, 255, 256, 261), VI 1.00, HR 169/177, cad 90
Overall 42':
NP: 254
AP: 251
Avg HR: 164
Max HR 177
Avg cad: 89
Avg temp 55.5 – nice and cold…open window AND a fan!!!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/272411526
The Training Plan link at the top of the new 5.0 site pulls up W7 and not W6 and that was the source of confusion for me since that says 2 x 20. When I pull it back to W6, then its 2 x 15, which matches an off-site calendar I set up on TrainingPeaks.
W6 2 x 15 it is for me.
Once more into the breach dear friends, once more.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/272398597#.URnJcW_eZVE.mailto
Main Set only today. ZERO extra work. No workout triage required, but it was *definitely* considered.
-first 20' right at FTP. RPE High, HR lower than expected
-second 20' was a bear. Wanted to hold FTP but fell behind so had to dig deep to get it back up.
I know that .95 -- 1.00 is all good, but I wanted to push myself to hold 1.00. I channeled Jens Voight and actually said out loud, "Shut up legs!"
T
- First set 311 NP with a VI of 1.0. Really was focusing on keeping a smooth power line in trainer road
- Second set 305 NP with a VI of 1.0. Also highly focused on a smooth power line. Had to shift gears late in this set to give my legs a break. Kept the power output the same but needed the variance in cadence to keep me on target.
Only did 10' of the brick but since I have been rehabbing my left achilles with achilles tendinitis I was thrilled to have this be a pain free 10'
1st 20min -> IF of 0.99 @ 297W NP
Min Avg Max
Power (Watts): 267 297 325
HR (bpm): 130 161 167
Cadence (rpm): 82 86 92
2nd 20min -> IF 1.01 @ 304W NP
Min Avg Max
Power (Watts): 208 303 341
HR (bpm): 142 169 176
Cadence (rpm): 78 84 89
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/av/GU7H5QFUJQ3WAJBQ5TXKPPRDWU
I'm quite happy with the result and I will use the 304W from the second set as new FTP till next test in Week 8 as it's almost no difference to the 300 I'm currently using.
Why is it that sometimes you can turn stiff as a board after a hard workout, and other times (like today) you feel like a million dollars?
20min NP 238 VI 1.0 IF 1.01
20min NP 242 VI 1.0 IF 1.03
Really happy about todays wko, I held a little bit above FTP, and since I went skiing yesterday was not well rested. I hoping the next FTP will show a nice bump!
I don't check in to often but wanted you to know I'm here and hanging in there......I did have to sacrifice my bike and run on Saturday for my orange snow shovel and 5 hours of heavy lifting!!!! I'm hoping the coach will excuse the missed workout!!!
Karen
Congrats Matt on your new FT!
2 x 15' @ 1.00 and .994IF followed by 2 mi in about 23 mins. on the treadmill. Run was good too. Last few Tues. runs have been really hard for me for some reason, even to the point of having to walk a couple times or hop off the 'mill entirely for a few seconds at the halfway point. None of that tonight!
That one gets a BOOM!
6x 7'(1'), all between .94 and .97
no shame, legs just felt like crap, and I know what (and who) is to blame.
rep-1: IF=1.005 HR 131 Ca 87
rep-2: IF=.995 HR 136 Ca 87
Yep, I have freakish low HR, the lower cadence kept it down a bit as I usually sit on 89-90.
Ran at lunch so time to eat.
248, 247 W (FT 248)
IF 0.932 for 59 minutes.
Work schedules and a kids' concert killed the run. Not missing another. Will go for a short easy run first thing tomorrow morning, then the FT run in the evening.