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NOS 2014 Week 7, Bike Workouts (Steady on!)

Almost time for mid-terms!  Don't try to cram too much studying in this week, just keep the pedal steady.  

Lots of solid work from everyone so far.  Keep it up and keep those posts and that mojo coming!

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  • Week 8 for me and I just did the FTP Test. It was not my best effort. This is a rough work week for me to have the right amount in the tank. Regardless, I gave what I had. I finished the 20 minute test at 277 NPW. That only moves my FTP up 3 watts. After the last workout, I really felt like I was higher than that. Oh well, time for more work. Can't wait for Wednesday & the 5K test!

  • EC up is good young man!!!! Maybe you should retest when you have an easier week.
  • Ray,  Thanks. I could feel it when I started the 5 minute VO2 effort that "it" wasn't quite there. 30 hours without sleep and then a 3:30 am wake-up call today was not going to produce a record FTP. I have done enough of them to know that every test is really just a moment in time and not necessarily a true reflection of your total fitness. I will have more rest by Wednesday and honestly look forward to the run.

  • 2x 18'(4') at .98 and 1.0
    6' at .86

    and out the door.

    yall have a great workout!
  • Dang Chris I thought I got up early! Good job!
  • That was no fun...still very fatigued from Sunday's run and felt it this morning.  HR was about 10bpm higher at target power than in prior weeks.  MS only due to being tired and having to go to work early.  2 x 15, target 281, hit 282 and 283.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/99548184

  • Good morning all. I got up this morning after working to get a little extra rest. I was rewarded by my body waking up earlier than normal and staying awake. Good times! Either way, I got on the bike and worked through the 2x20. The first one felt decent, the second was a lot rougher. I struggled pretty strongly on that one and I'm not sure why, other than the 20 minutes of work beforehand. I was able to hit my targets, but it has me a bit more worried about seeing gains next week. Good luck all!
  • Had to get up a little earlier to fit both workouts in before school, so it seemed like I only woke up during the second interval. Had IF's of 1.02 and 1.03 for the 2 x 18min. Legs are tires, so I don't know what to expect during next week's test. Have fun out there!
  • Struggled today. Maybe do to not a great sleep last night. Anyway .97 and .99 is what I put in today. Just took a gel and am going to wait 20 minutes before my run.
  • Had a pretty good day with a lot of work in the office so I somehow forgot to hydrate and feed myself properly ... and hell I'd to pay for that I swear! First 20' was good hard effort at exactly IF 1.0 but the second one was just a cage-fight! Was thinking of splitting it up into some smaller slices after only 8' but managed to fight through somehow  

    Hit an IF of 0.98 on the second 20' segment - so all within desired parameters.

    Total workout: 1:13h / NP 275 / IF 0.92 -> http://tpks.ws/VncB

  •   I am looking forward to next weeks tests!!

    2014 OS Week 7 Bike Intermediate Tuesday 12/10/13
    Split Time Avg HR Max HR Cad NP AP IF
    1 0:12:08 130 137 89 194 194 0.65 Warmup
    2 0:18:00 154 163 85 294 295 0.99 Interval Goal 95-100% 1
    3 0:04:00 131 161 80 174 169 0.59
    4 0:18:00 162 167 82 305 305 1.03 Interval Goal 95-100% 2
    5 0:04:59 145 166 85 186 171 0.63
    6 0:05:01 150 153 85 252 255 0.85 Interval Goal 80-85% 3
    7 0:02:54 145 151 85 208 205 0.70 Cool down
    Summary 1:05:01 149 167 85 270 255 0.91
  • Got them done at 1.01 and 1.02. This was the first week I did the full EN Official Warm up and I think it made all the difference. Previously I've just used the alloted 12 min in the TrainerRoad workouts and done 5 min easy/3 hardish/4 easy and then main set. I found that often the workout would get easier as I went, with the first FTP set or first few VO2 intervals to be the killers and then be ok. I attribute this to not being fully warmed up. Highly recommend doing the full 25 min warmup if you have the time!
  • Today's workout was humbling... Still waiting for my pm to get here so I am having to do my workouts at a local computrainer studio. I set my FTP at 200 which is usually no problem for me (based on most of the workouts avg around 80% of FTP.) I could feel immediately that I was NOT recovered from this weekend, even though I tried to stay on top of hydration and diet. It was 45 min of straight Vo2 work so I went down to 170 and was able to nail the end of the workout. I'm going to listen to my body and skip the hill repeats today in hopes that I will be ready to work tomorrow.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/99596361
  • Emily, I am confused. Did you do a FTP workout or a VO2 workout. On my schedule we did 2 x18 of FTP (95-100%).
  • @brenda you had it right.

    I did something different at a local cycling training center. The software lets you set what threshold you want to work at and the entire workout is based on that number (intervals at anything from 40%- 140% of your FTP) -- this particular workout had a bunch of v02 focused intervals. I unfortunately didn't have any say so on the workout since it was a set class. I know it's not the EN one but it's all I can do right now until I get my trainer road set up at home. Sorry for the confusion. I'm still new to this power thing/lingo. I'm working on it : )
  • During my 15' warm-up, I look at the 3' X 5' card that I prepare the night before to see exactly what i am supposed to do. As I looked at it, I thought, "hey - I did this last week and it was hard!". So, I started to think of ways to make it fun...

    I remembered Coach Rich's old FTP test that was 20" followed by 2' Rest and the 20' and you took the NP of the entire 42'. Since that wasn't really much harder than the scheduled 2 X 20'(4') I thought I would give it shot since I am really looking forward to my next bike test...

    First 20' was at IF 1.03 and for the second 20' I steadily went harder and ended up with a IF of 1.06 and a new FTP of 297. So, that is a pretty good increase and my w/kg is now 3.63, which puts me at the low end of a CAT 3 rider based on the charts from another forum thread. So, I am moving slowly but surely from the 3.42 w/kg from week #1!

    For the run - I did a very, very pedestrian Z1 for about 4miles and now it is time for those core exercises!
  • Great job Joe!!!!
  • @Ray - since I am new to power this year, I probably pay too much attention to what others are posting with respect to their power numbers. But - I tend to look at yours and see my #s hitting almost the same figures, so I know I am in good company! Although I know I'll never go to Kona - I can at least compare my results with someone who has been there more than once!

  • Wow, I definitely need to work on my tire changing skills! Went to do workout on trainer, topped off the air in rear tire, and when I took the pump off, valve stem tore the tube. Fine, I wanted to put on my trainer tire anyways, so took off rear wheel, started taking off tire, snapped a cheap tire lever and cut my hand. Got band aid (and good tire lever) and tried again. Got it off, new tube, put on trainer tire, put wheel back on, rear brake was rubbing so got it straight. Put bike back on trainer (15 minutes after I started), started workout, tried to shift RD-- click, click, click, no gear change! WTF? What did I do? Took bike off trainer, couldn't figure out what I had done, stared at it for 5-10 minutes trying to figure out what the heck... finally saw I had somehow pulled the RD cable out of the cable stop on the chainstay so no tension in the cable. Doh! Put it all back together, started ride 35 minutes late. Wow. Had this been a race I would have just quit and sat on the road and cried. So frustrating it was comical. At that point I was short on time since I wanted to get run in too, so only did WU and first interval. BLECH!
  • Rough one tonight. I pulled the plug after the first 18' interval @ .97IF. Since Sat., I've been feeling a cough coming on. After my WKO Sat., I had the "burning lung" feeling. You know, like after you do a really hard effort? But it hasn't really gone away. I don't cough a lot, but when I do, I sound either like a seal, or a dog hacking something up. LOL Soooo, trying to manage WKOs vs. being as healthy as possible for test week. I did attempt the 2nd interval, and figured I'd shoot for .95IF but after I was finding it hard to get past .90IF, I decided mo' rest would be mo' better.

    So much for not catching the wife's cold she's had for like 3 weeks, I thought I was out of the woods. Crap!

    Stay healthy everyone!
  • Kim : Get better soon ! Looks like your strategy to cut it short today is the right thing to do

    Just finished Tue FTP bike on the trainer. Felt looooong . 2x20' (4')
    Was able to do :
    Duration NP IF(vs 196W FTP)
    #1 20:00 213W 1.09
    #2 20:00 212W 1.08

    Added 5:00 NP=183W (0.93)

    Total work including Warm Up = 70 min TSS=109

    Now getting in the right mood to go out for a 9PM/24F run in the half ice-half snow road in the village....
  • Was on vacation last week so no biking, just running. Back at it tonight with 2 X 20" at 1.03 & 1.07IF. Was feeling good so bumped it up a little on the second interval.
  • Good Snowy Evening to All!

    I clock my workouts in miles - so first 15 min was 3.88 mi and second was 3.91.

    I had to do my run right after and only had 20 minutes. I did 2 miles in 19.46 and 3x20 sec strides uphill at 4% grade.

    I will probably be on the treadmill tomorrow - we got some snow here tabs the roads are wet and slushy.

    Have a great evening!
  • Snowy day in CT! After coming home from school (we had early dismissal) got myself on the bike and hit both intervals and Z3 the rest of the ride! 

    Keep up the work all!

    @ Kim- Feel better!! I'm fighting off the sickness as well. Tis the season 

  • Cut short my Tues night bike, thanks to post-work networking event that went later than I'd anticipated, plus trudging through another 2" of snow (we have 12" on the ground since the weekend).  Set my mental FTP up to 139, and really pushed through the last 3 minutes of the first 15' set: IF of 1.09, for an overall IF of 1.08! 

  • Joe,

    You and I are in a sweet position right now. If we can drop a few pounds we get free increase in FTP/KG! I have a tough tough time getting lower than 174 but I still think I can. I am about 8% body fat but love the weights no matter what RnP say! A little motivation for you. I AM NOT IMPLYING YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT!

    KG weight FTP FTP/KG
    74.84 165 297 3.97
    75.30 166 297 3.94
    75.75 167 297 3.92
    76.20 168 297 3.90
    76.66 169 297 3.87
    77.11 170 297 3.85
    77.56 171 297 3.83
    78.02 172 297 3.81
    78.47 173 297 3.78
    78.93 174 297 3.76
    79.38 175 297 3.74
    79.83 176 297 3.72
    80.29 177 297 3.70
    80.74 178 297 3.68
    81.19 179 297 3.66
    81.65 180 297 3.64
  • John,

    Good to have this happen now instead of a race! Now you know!

     There use to be an awesome half in Kona long ago each Memorial Day called the Keahou Half IM. One year I flatted 5 miles into the ride and then pinch flatted two more times because of not knowing how to change out a tube correctly. All that way to loose 45 minutes to stupidity. When I got back home I sat down in front of the TV with a rim, tire and tube and kept practicing the process over and over for days until I could change a tube darn near blindfolded. I have never had a problem since but I was not happy at the time. That's the great thing about all the training, it isn't just about the workout.

  • Ray - which device do you use for measuring your body fat?
  • Stefan,

    I have a sports doc that has scanner that runs electric impedance on me almost like an MRI machine. It is awesome it evens shows the spots where the fat is on the body.

  • Stefan, I want you to think seriously about coming here and doing 2 man RAAM with me in the next few years before I get too old. We can win it!
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