@ Rachel- AWWW! That makes more sense! The 230 was way easy. TOO easy for the OS. I will have to figure out how to adjust the power zones. Thank you for your guidance. I really have no clue how my numbers compare to others. My genetic tendency is towards power. Not endurance. So running long is difficult.
I got home from work and it was still light so I got dressed and did the run before the bike. It just a short little run followed by a bike. How hard could that be? 90 seconds, just 90 seconds times 7. That's 10.5 minutes but it seems so hard and so long especially compared to the recovery intervals. Yes folks today's ride was hard. I was hoping that what felt like an easy ride on Tuesday would mean that today would seem easier too, but I was mistaken.
My Vo2 from the test was 287 or about 1.30 of my FTP. Here are the numbers I hit today.
289
1.31
285
1.29
279
1.27
280
1.27
283
1.29
277
1.26
279
1.27
The first one was a little high but I was fairly consistent after that. I'm just glad it's over and that tomorrow is a core/rest day.
OK yesterday's VO2 set was hard but not impossible, like Jacklyn, I felt my first few way too easy, so I made the last ones harder. Not sure if I tested too low, will have to do a new test, or I can just start to increase my power? Thoughts? My TR work outs are under Niels17 if anyone has a chance to look at it.
@Niels - Hi, I took a look at your ride in TR. My observation is that on the first 4 intervals you were very conservative (i.e., quite below target) and maybe left with you quite a bit left in the tank toward the end. Before increasing your power target, I would try next week to be consistent, especially in the beginning intervals, to pace right on target. If you still have a lot left at the end, maybe the next week you take your target up a tick by riding at 101 or 102%. Just my 2 cents.
To all here that are in their first OutSeason here on EN: I know the first weeks of the OS feel "easy" or for some of us even "too easy" but bumping your FTP only 2-3 weeks after you tested them is a VERY DANGEROUS thing! This is my third OS and I know what huge difference it makes just turning your FTP 5-7 Watts up or down. It is very easy to become the "OutSeason overachieving superhero" especially within the first weeks and/or if you paced your FTP test not perfectly and might left a few watts on the table there. The OutSeason will get harder - A LOT harder after week 7-8 - trust me ... it was so in 2012 and in 2013 and it will be the same this year!
IMHO if you can easily hit all your power targets on the longer FTP segments (2x15' or longer) at IF 1.00 AND your run workouts do not suffer from it you MAY go for a slight FTP bump without a test!
You see there are a lot of "if" and "when" ... to be sure you have to re-test At the moment I could think of replacing the Tuesday ride with a FTP Test then you really know where you are.
Was earning some more SAU last 2 days spending in a supersweet local spa located on top of one of our mountains Returning today I just did a steady Z3 ride for 1 hour to get my feet back moving for tomorrows VM Challenge. Did a short WU then 35' @ Z3 (IF 0.86 / VI 1.00) while watching Helix (nice series!) and finished up with some one-leg spinning and 3x1'(1') high cadence spins.
@ Reid and Mark - I'm looking at your IF's for the 1.5 min Z5's. I think we are all on the Intermediate Plan - I am hitting 1.15-1.18 and kind of blindly following the targets set in Trainer Road. I can probably work a bit harder, but the workout is pretty tough to stay on target for the last couple of intervals. Are you guys following Trainer Road too, or are you going more by feel to get the higher IF? *I am taking my numbers from the summary screen that pops up at the end of the workout - is this correct?
@Judson - yes I am using TR and using the top end of Z5 as my target. Are you using the rides already created for the workout or are you creating your own? If you use the ones already created it should give you the targets based on your FTP from the test. Are you jdj in TR?
The OutSeason will get harder - A LOT harder after week 7-8 - trust me ... it was so in 2012 and in 2013 and it will be the same this year!
IMHO if you can easily hit all your power targets on the longer FTP segments (2x15' or longer) at IF 1.00 AND your run workouts do not suffer from it you MAY go for a slight FTP bump without a test!
@Stefan - I agree 100% Excellent post! This my 5th OS and when the OS was 20 weeks, we lost a lot of members after week #12 because of over-achieving!
Had to do the Thursday VO2 WKO today due to work and SAU. 7 x 1.5' @ 1.19/1.21/1.24/1.19/1.22/1.22/1.23, finishing with the 18' @ 0.87. Not sure I wanted to do it tonight, but the positive peer pressure here kept me on it. Now I just have to "force" myself back to the TM to finish for the day!
How are you guys doing your strides? Throughout the run or just at the very end?
Mostly, I've been doing one each at 10, 20 and 30 mins.
Jonathan - you are spot on. The first mile or so is just Z1. Then, a stride, then repeat as necessary and you'll get the benefit that RnP are looking for, which as I remember is to recruit some of those over taxed muscle fibers into the fast twitch and not take away from the next day's workout.
Cold front has arrive here in Texas! It was almost 50 degrees in my pain cave (aka garage)! 15' warm-up then 7 X 2'(2') @ Z5 followed by a 15'(2)@Z3 to finish at an hour before work. Hit all targets around 1.18-1.25 and the Z3 was at .90 with my AVHR within Z3.
Went to see our local Div 1 Football team, the UTSA Roadrunners play University of Southern Mississippi last night (UTSA won!) and took the day off today. Had big plans, but decided to generate some SAUs and do Christmas shopping on-line!
Looking forward to the cold front going back up north (isn't that where they go to?) and getting back to the 50s on Sunday!
@Judson, I don't use Trainer Road, I have a Computrainer and a power meter that I use. When I tested my Vo2 was 287 and my FTP (95%of my test) was 220 so my Vo2 is about 1.30 of my FTP. It was that way last year as well, so I go with my test results and not the formula. Some days I curse that decision though.
Crazy week continues. I had a window yesterday so I got the Saturday ride in. During the warm-up I could really feel yesterday's hard interval set. I wasn't sure how the ride was going to go but I pushed the long FTP workout and did 2 X 20'. I did surprisingly well and ended up besting my test from two weeks ago recording 257 & 253 NPW for the 2 intervals. The average of the span was 252NPW.
@John S. I do my strides at the end. I am doing almost all my running inside now. After I finish the main set, I turn the TM up to the speed I run the strides at. I stand on the rails and then run 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.
The 2X12's felt harder today than tuesday and the 15' @ Z3 felt worse for some reason. Whole week of hitting or over achieving caught up today. Brick run after of sub 7's for over 7 miles to get in the 50 min. suuuuuucked!!
Either trainer road or my pc crashed literally 4 seconds from starting my first interval and I had to do a full restart which somehow too 15-20 minutes today. Frustrating! Anyway, I finished up my bike wko but this left me short on time for my run. I'll have to squeeze it in later today or skip it so I'm ok for tomorrow.
Pretty good Saturday bike ride on Friday night. :-) (BTW, I don't recommend all this screwing around with the schedule...I just don't have a lot of choice.)
2 x 12 at 244, 248
2 x 15 at 212 and 221
I was really pleased with how this felt. Just the right amount of "hard" and still had a little left to bend up the curve for the second 15 minute segment.
Then off for some spouse time and then driving to meet OJ at her swim meet. Well, to find her hotel room and try not to wake her up, anyway. :-) Got about 3.5 hours sleep. But OJ had a great mile. Considering she was tapered for 2 weeks ago and they don't do distance for high school, her time suggests she might get her first AAAA time in a few months when they taper again...only 7 seconds off out of 17+ minutes.
@William, congrats to OJ that's a great mile time. My oldest daughter used to do the mile and I know what it's like to either count or time them. Once she false started and was DQed. I was a starter and stroke and turn judge but I was timing for her and I knew what she d. I was hoping my colleagues missed it, but they didn't. She swam the whole thing with a really good time but of course it didn't count.
Week3 Nov os bike done! I did it based on HR during one of my wife's spin classes, She needed moral support :-) they have watt meters, but the watt output(that is on the display) was way higher than my normal. Have been bad about the brick, I will have to run a bit more tomorrow.
Watching Kona during today's bike helped keep me going toward the end. 2 x 10' @ 1.00/1.01; had to take a 5' break to grab my phone from outside the cave, then 2 x 15' @ 0.88/0.87.
A successful TR today! Thank you Rachel. Increased my power to 116% to match the middle of the power range for my zones. Now that's more like it! My heart rate isn't anywhere near where it should be for the power zones. It's 10-15 bpm lower.
TSS 124 IF 1.0 NP 199 PW 191 K 860 FTP 200.
Question 1- What is IF?
I think i'm going to dream about chasing a little yellow dot around! I suck at video games. Pac man more my style.
Today's ride for me was a Cyclocross race. I did the beginners since it was my first ever cross race. My experimental bike with 3 gears was really only 2 gears, but 1 would have been ok. I think I will go the whole way and convert it to single speed. That will strengthen me up I think.
The race started in a 27 degrees clear crisp morning. As a result much of the course was very hard and bumpy in places. I definitely got a good workout in over the 34 minutes of racing at basically > threshold effort. It was a small group in my race (I think about 7 or 8). I passed a guy and got into 3rd place on the second lap. I held it for 2 laps but faded on the last lap and ended up being 4th.
Comments
@ Rachel- AWWW! That makes more sense! The 230 was way easy. TOO easy for the OS. I will have to figure out how to adjust the power zones. Thank you for your guidance. I really have no clue how my numbers compare to others. My genetic tendency is towards power. Not endurance. So running long is difficult.
I got home from work and it was still light so I got dressed and did the run before the bike. It just a short little run followed by a bike. How hard could that be? 90 seconds, just 90 seconds times 7. That's 10.5 minutes but it seems so hard and so long especially compared to the recovery intervals. Yes folks today's ride was hard. I was hoping that what felt like an easy ride on Tuesday would mean that today would seem easier too, but I was mistaken.
My Vo2 from the test was 287 or about 1.30 of my FTP. Here are the numbers I hit today.
7 x 1.5' 252/259/259/261/260/262/263 (IF 1.25-1.27)
Avg = 259
HR 134/139/142/146/149/149/151
18' Z3 @ 183 (target 176)
18' HR 152
@Niels - Hi, I took a look at your ride in TR. My observation is that on the first 4 intervals you were very conservative (i.e., quite below target) and maybe left with you quite a bit left in the tank toward the end. Before increasing your power target, I would try next week to be consistent, especially in the beginning intervals, to pace right on target. If you still have a lot left at the end, maybe the next week you take your target up a tick by riding at 101 or 102%. Just my 2 cents.
Reid
I know the first weeks of the OS feel "easy" or for some of us even "too easy" but bumping your FTP only 2-3 weeks after you tested them is a VERY DANGEROUS thing!
This is my third OS and I know what huge difference it makes just turning your FTP 5-7 Watts up or down.
It is very easy to become the "OutSeason overachieving superhero" especially within the first weeks and/or if you paced your FTP test not perfectly and might left a few watts on the table there.
The OutSeason will get harder - A LOT harder after week 7-8 - trust me ... it was so in 2012 and in 2013 and it will be the same this year!
IMHO if you can easily hit all your power targets on the longer FTP segments (2x15' or longer) at IF 1.00 AND your run workouts do not suffer from it you MAY go for a slight FTP bump without a test!
You see there are a lot of "if" and "when" ... to be sure you have to re-test
At the moment I could think of replacing the Tuesday ride with a FTP Test then you really know where you are.
Returning today I just did a steady Z3 ride for 1 hour to get my feet back moving for tomorrows VM Challenge.
Did a short WU then 35' @ Z3 (IF 0.86 / VI 1.00) while watching Helix (nice series!) and finished up with some one-leg spinning and 3x1'(1') high cadence spins.
http://tpks.ws/jJF0
Let's see what tomorrows run-legs have to bring on
*I am taking my numbers from the summary screen that pops up at the end of the workout - is this correct?
@Judson - yes I am using TR and using the top end of Z5 as my target. Are you using the rides already created for the workout or are you creating your own? If you use the ones already created it should give you the targets based on your FTP from the test. Are you jdj in TR?
Keep up the great work everyone!
How are you guys doing your strides? Throughout the run or just at the very end?
Mostly, I've been doing one each at 10, 20 and 30 mins.
Went to see our local Div 1 Football team, the UTSA Roadrunners play University of Southern Mississippi last night (UTSA won!) and took the day off today. Had big plans, but decided to generate some SAUs and do Christmas shopping on-line!
Looking forward to the cold front going back up north (isn't that where they go to?) and getting back to the 50s on Sunday!
Brief 10' WU then straight to the MS 7x2' (2') @ 232w
228 1.18
226 1.16
229 1.18
234 1.21
232 1.20
236 1.22
231 1.19
Followed by 15' @ 0.856
Total wko 60' @ 0.888
@Judson, I don't use Trainer Road, I have a Computrainer and a power meter that I use. When I tested my Vo2 was 287 and my FTP (95%of my test) was 220 so my Vo2 is about 1.30 of my FTP. It was that way last year as well, so I go with my test results and not the formula. Some days I curse that decision though.
Crazy week continues. I had a window yesterday so I got the Saturday ride in. During the warm-up I could really feel yesterday's hard interval set. I wasn't sure how the ride was going to go but I pushed the long FTP workout and did 2 X 20'. I did surprisingly well and ended up besting my test from two weeks ago recording 257 & 253 NPW for the 2 intervals. The average of the span was 252NPW.
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/632962764
@John S. I do my strides at the end. I am doing almost all my running inside now. After I finish the main set, I turn the TM up to the speed I run the strides at. I stand on the rails and then run 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.
Otherwise bike went well.
2 x 12' @ .99 and 1.00
2 x 15' @ .84 and .86
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/633314591
2 x 12 at 244, 248
2 x 15 at 212 and 221
I was really pleased with how this felt. Just the right amount of "hard" and still had a little left to bend up the curve for the second 15 minute segment.
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/633356192
Then off for some spouse time and then driving to meet OJ at her swim meet. Well, to find her hotel room and try not to wake her up, anyway. :-) Got about 3.5 hours sleep. But OJ had a great mile. Considering she was tapered for 2 weeks ago and they don't do distance for high school, her time suggests she might get her first AAAA time in a few months when they taper again...only 7 seconds off out of 17+ minutes.
Saturday bike is done:
2x10 .98 and 95 2x12 .81 and .82 Its getting tougher....
Cheers!
A successful TR today! Thank you Rachel. Increased my power to 116% to match the middle of the power range for my zones. Now that's more like it! My heart rate isn't anywhere near where it should be for the power zones. It's 10-15 bpm lower.
TSS 124 IF 1.0 NP 199 PW 191 K 860 FTP 200.
Question 1- What is IF?
I think i'm going to dream about chasing a little yellow dot around! I suck at video games. Pac man more my style.
Today's ride for me was a Cyclocross race. I did the beginners since it was my first ever cross race. My experimental bike with 3 gears was really only 2 gears, but 1 would have been ok. I think I will go the whole way and convert it to single speed. That will strengthen me up I think.
The race started in a 27 degrees clear crisp morning. As a result much of the course was very hard and bumpy in places. I definitely got a good workout in over the 34 minutes of racing at basically > threshold effort. It was a small group in my race (I think about 7 or 8). I passed a guy and got into 3rd place on the second lap. I held it for 2 laps but faded on the last lap and ended up being 4th.
Strava is here - http://www.strava.com/activities/219499073
My son did the juniors race and had a good time. I'd say he was 3 or 4 years younger than most of the other kids.
Photos are here - https://www.dropbox.com/sc/gahqi7seehi0q8m/AABc9WvWV-SlSqyvNEOV9Fuza