I'll be loading up my HIM plan tomorrow - it's been great hearing all of your training successes the last few weeks. I ended GF on a high note today and I'm feeling a whole bunch of gratitude for this team and RnP. When I did my first 5k test back in Nov I was at 35:14, slow even for me. For the last 6 or so years I've ran pretty consistently at about an 11min mile. Today I did an 8k and averaged 9:41. Feels good. Work works.
<p>Now, doing FTP workouts outside: I've used a couple of methods. One is to find a good "long" hill - at least 300' (preferably more) elevation gain @ about 6% grade - and just do hill repeats. Ideally, I want to take 8' on those, and do as many as I need to get the full work time in, e.g., if its 2x15', that would be about 4 hill repeats. Or, there is a local park with a "Five Mile Drive" (that's it's name) which is one way, and closed to traffic for an hour or two each morning, longer on the weekends. It's a bit rolling, but I just power my way thru that, and it takes me 13 minutes, so 2-3 of those usually does the trick.</p> <p>VO2 intervals are harder, as I <span>really </span>want to be free of any potential for conflicts with cars or pedestrians. Luckily, within 2-3 miles of my house, there is another park with a very steep hill on a dead end street, takes me 2' to get up it, so I go just as far as I need or want for the intervals, usually 45-90 seconds, turn around, coast back down, rinse and repeat.</p> <p>Basically, I use the gradient of hills to get my FTP and VO2 work in; trying to find a longer (7-8 mile) stretch of smooth low traffic road with no lights or commercial driveways, good shoulder, flat, etc, takes me about 12 miles from where I live. I save that for FTP tests.</p>
Great ideas for workouts. My standard ride is around a lake, which is flat. I need to add some hills to my rides. I can use what you suggested above in my neighborhood before or after the ride to the lake. Thanks, Al
Did my get faster run test this morning. I was aiming at a vdot 38, it's in me, just couldn't get it done today. Still ended with improvement, went from a 37.1 to a 37.6. Start HIM training on Monday for Challenge Williamsburg in June.
I did my bike test today. At the start of the Get Faster plan my FTP was 233 and today it's 249 which is the highest it's ever been! My Vo2 is up by 5 watts. I lost 5 pounds over the 8 weeks so my W/kg is 3.47 up from 3.14. Now I have to live up to those numbers. I'll try that out this weekend since I'm not doing a run test. That has to wait until next weekend when I have the Blooms to Brews half marathon.
@ Mark M. Right with you, my FTP went from 244 to 250, which was one of my 2015 goals, but my W/Kg isn't quite there yet.
Did the Thurs. bike wko this morning. New FTP is gonna be tough for a while. 2X10' Zn 4 @ 251w, 249w, 5X1.5's Zn 5 all 290's = some Zn3 work. Legs still a little tired from the tests.
Start HIM plan on Mon. Looking forward to riding outside.
Hey folks, I did my swim test on Friday and took 2 seconds off my 100 T-pace time so I'll get to try those out this week.
I'm doing a half marathon next week for my run test so I did the Saturday HIM ride yesterday. As I thought my new zones are a little difficult. My low Z4 is higher than my high Z4 so it's a stretch just to stay in the low Z4 for now. I did that yesterday and notched a 0.96 and 0.97 for the two 15 minute FTP intervals. It was the same scenario with the 4X15 Z3 intervals and I hit all those at 0.81, just over the lower threshold. But hey, I got it done. After that I tried to do some Z2-3 work but there wasn't anything left in the legs so I cruised home in recovery mode to protect my downstream workouts.
Speaking of which, I did a 3X1 mile and 2X1/2 mile Z4 run today. My legs were a little heavy from yesterday so I did a longer than normal warm up. I hit all the intervals and they actually felt easier as the workout progressed. After the intervals I cruised home at an EZ pace. I ended up with a 1:22 run and 9.7 miles.
Comments
<p>Now, doing FTP workouts outside: I've used a couple of methods. One is to find a good "long" hill - at least 300' (preferably more) elevation gain @ about 6% grade - and just do hill repeats. Ideally, I want to take 8' on those, and do as many as I need to get the full work time in, e.g., if its 2x15', that would be about 4 hill repeats. Or, there is a local park with a "Five Mile Drive" (that's it's name) which is one way, and closed to traffic for an hour or two each morning, longer on the weekends. It's a bit rolling, but I just power my way thru that, and it takes me 13 minutes, so 2-3 of those usually does the trick.</p>
<p>VO2 intervals are harder, as I <span>really </span>want to be free of any potential for conflicts with cars or pedestrians. Luckily, within 2-3 miles of my house, there is another park with a very steep hill on a dead end street, takes me 2' to get up it, so I go just as far as I need or want for the intervals, usually 45-90 seconds, turn around, coast back down, rinse and repeat.</p>
<p>Basically, I use the gradient of hills to get my FTP and VO2 work in; trying to find a longer (7-8 mile) stretch of smooth low traffic road with no lights or commercial driveways, good shoulder, flat, etc, takes me about 12 miles from where I live. I save that for FTP tests.</p>
Great ideas for workouts. My standard ride is around a lake, which is flat. I need to add some hills to my rides. I can use what you suggested above in my neighborhood before or after the ride to the lake. Thanks, Al
@ Mark M. Right with you, my FTP went from 244 to 250, which was one of my 2015 goals, but my W/Kg isn't quite there yet.
Did the Thurs. bike wko this morning. New FTP is gonna be tough for a while. 2X10' Zn 4 @ 251w, 249w, 5X1.5's Zn 5 all 290's = some Zn3 work. Legs still a little tired from the tests.
Start HIM plan on Mon. Looking forward to riding outside.
I will be moving over to the April discussion for get faster.
Thanks for all the support these past weeks. I'm looking out my window at a beautiful Wisconsin day and can't wait to get on the bike.
Hey folks, I did my swim test on Friday and took 2 seconds off my 100 T-pace time so I'll get to try those out this week.
I'm doing a half marathon next week for my run test so I did the Saturday HIM ride yesterday. As I thought my new zones are a little difficult. My low Z4 is higher than my high Z4 so it's a stretch just to stay in the low Z4 for now. I did that yesterday and notched a 0.96 and 0.97 for the two 15 minute FTP intervals. It was the same scenario with the 4X15 Z3 intervals and I hit all those at 0.81, just over the lower threshold. But hey, I got it done. After that I tried to do some Z2-3 work but there wasn't anything left in the legs so I cruised home in recovery mode to protect my downstream workouts.
Speaking of which, I did a 3X1 mile and 2X1/2 mile Z4 run today. My legs were a little heavy from yesterday so I did a longer than normal warm up. I hit all the intervals and they actually felt easier as the workout progressed. After the intervals I cruised home at an EZ pace. I ended up with a 1:22 run and 9.7 miles.