I know many of you would prefer to binge watch your favorite TV series or stare at the Trainer Road graphs ( I still have an active account myself), but I have to confess I am now an addict of Zwift. Is there any interest in the JanOS for Zwift group rides? You can still load your EN wko into Zwift very similar to the way one had to write the wko into Trainer Road before the coaches kindly pre-loaded them. The virtual ride along with the chatter amongst cyclists makes the wko pass so much easier. I still notice the same amount of blood, sweat, and tears on the floor (and during FTP tests - vomit) while working out but the added peer pressure is the perfect additional motivation.
Curious everyone... Testing and riding on trainer on road bike or TT? I get in a road bike kind of mood this time of year (especially outside) but am actually more comfy on TT on trainer.
@ Julie - I prefer the trainer even in good weather for really hard work like VO2 intervals and even FTP intervals, so I don't have to worry about traffic, road hazards, etc. that said, I will do them outdoors in protected areas - meaning a park with restricted roads (eg, no cars over most of the route until 10 AM)
@ Robt - Swift sounds intriguing - the hardest part would be linking the times to corral a group?
@Al - depends on the number of interested athletes. Potential to have several start times. We don't even have to stick together on the course, just knowing there are fellow ENers suffering the same interval work, I'm sure we start to send motivating messages during the rest intervals etc. I think there is real potential here. I think it would be a great way for the coaches to recruit athletes.....just sayin'
Thanks for starting! Had a rough start to the week...attempted the bike test yesterday. Ken I shouldn't as I have been ill, lots of travel and lack of sleep. Well, couldn't hold the 20 minutes so threw in the towel...was not going to be a true test of ability and this targets wouldn't be set right. Thinking about trying again tomorrow however not sure if to soon....will keep you all posted.
On a separate note...in general this testing period is almost the most "fun"...we are all de-trained, got fat and jolly over the holidays so the way I see it, only way forward is to get stronger/faster and leaner...
Hello everyone. I am sliding into the JOS. I will be loosely following the WKO's. I have been focusing on RDP over the last month. That part of the JOS will continue. I am also going to give my best on the bike. I have only been riding one ride a week while focusing on the run. So, my bike legs are not quite there. I did 2 X 15' tonight followed by a 4 mile brick. I was very pleased with the bike as I pushed my intervals above .96 IF. I also completed both intervals in the aerobars. Like SS, I am trying to get my bike up near 4.0/kg. Good luck to everyone and train safe.
Nice work, all. I did my bike test tonight. It was my first real time on a bike since IM Choo in late September (FTP was 265 for the race). I'm not sure what was worse, the test itself, seeing how much my FTP has fallen, or drinking orange Gatorade Endurance while on the bike. Let's just agree that all three were less than enjoyable. My FTP test put me at my lowest FTP ever (217). Oh well, the good news is that it should be pretty easy to post some serious gains. Onward and upward for the JOS from here!!
@ Rob - I'd be interested in trying Zwift if a group got together (EG , can only you pre-load the wko for the rest of us?) as for peer pressure, zwift is for the moment, strava is forever... the virtual smackdowns will be painful!!
@Julie - I use the roadie on the drainer and most of my early season riding. I do notice that i drop 10 watts as soon as i get on the tri bike (even sitting up in the horns) but then gain 12-15 watts for going outdoors... so there is an even swap.. also, what happened to your back? I am recovering from a herniated disc that i suffered 3 days before IMLP, also found the tri bike more comfy initially, and chiro who is a big cyclist was a proponent of it.
I like the Zwift idea. I've been using it the last few months during my run durability phase, and I had some great bike workouts on it. It is amazing how fast an hour can fly by on Zwift, and I had some seriously hard workouts during group rides and just doing sprints and trying to beat my earlier times on the climbs. I even chose to ride inside a couple of times when the weather was nice enough to go out... I think it is the reason I tested better than expected this week - I had some impressive IF numbers for many of those rides.
I think there is definite potential for EN group rides, workouts, etc. - especially for the longer weekend rides? How we keep a group together with abilities all over the board is a question - but maybe something can be worked out. Regroup after the intervals for a group lap around the island? Warm up as a group before hitting the intervals?
By the way, the workout files you create for zwift are stored as simple text files, and can be shared. So if one person set up a Saturday workout file, they could post it somewhere for the rest of us to download.
I think I would probably stick to TrainerRoad for the weekday interval sessions.
YAY for all the Chica's!!! Thanks for chiming in ladies!
Regarding Zwift. I've done a handful of rides on it, but never quite to "into" it. I'd be interested in an EN training group ride- especially if we have a way to set the workouts up like in TrainerRoad.
I've become a huge fan of the TrainerRoad/Sufferfest video combo. I can almost always find a video/workout that matches (or comes very close) to whatever the EN prescribed workout is for the day and that takes care of my entertainment/motivation all in one shot.
My fellow JanOS Zwifters, I plan to knock the planned WK1 Thursday interval session early in the AM as my son has Basketball practice tomorrow when I get home for work. Realistically, that means an EST time of 5AM. If the stars align I could shoot for a 4:30PM EST start if there was anyone that wanted to join me. That would give me enough time to shower etc to get my son to practice at 6:30PM.
I already wrote the wko onto Zwift but i believe it is stored locally on my computer rather than in the cloud: /Users/TriDad/Documents/Zwift/Workouts/JanOS_Wk1_Thurs_1.zwo
It only takes a few moments to write and very similar to writing workouts in trainer road (i think even a little easier than writing in trainer road).
PLEASE respond to this post prior to 830pm EST if you want to try and meet for 430pm EST tomorrow otherwise I am setting my alarm for 430AM to start at 5am.
I've never done Zwift. I ride with TR now. As soon as I figure out how to add Zwift to my training I would love to join some for a ride I'll start working on figuring it out. This should be fun!
Hi gang, bike test went great. Coming into this season 20 watts above last years season. I am interested in Zwift and so is Steve, however I am doing my long rides on Saturday not Sundays. Anyone else doing that??? Sure would love some company.
You have to love smart trainers - best training tool purchase after power meter. I hit a perfect 4x(1.1 x 4') as planned virtually riding along with riders from around the globe on Zwift this AM. Met a few riders from the military endurance club I just joined.
@Brenda, I do my long rides on Saturday as well but will be traveling the next 3 weekends. I will catch you on my return
Plan called for 4X4' @ 110%. I thought I'd be hurting bad after the testing in the week but to my surprise it was manageable. Not saying easy but I got through all four and still felt pretty good. Legs feeling a little puffy but good none the less.
Good first week so far getting back to some structure.
Got thru the 4X4'@Zn5, but didn't make 110% on all, between the testing and little bike work, these felt pretty hard. Looking forward to getting the bike fitness back!
4 x 4 @ 110% done this morning - significantly harder than I thought they would be. First time using TrainerRoad/Vortex Smart for an EN workout and it was great. I think it would have been hard to hold the wattage for all four this morning, but the fact that it was locked in by the smart trainer made it easier. Not sure easier is the correct word.
4x4s done. I thought I had done a good test but clearly not enough. Had to bump the numbers a little for these. Guess I'll raise the FTP and keep pushing hard. Keep at it y'all!
Ugh but done. Haven't tested since this spring and haven't been on my bike for several months. So, the plan was to simply get through it without blowing up. After finally remembering how to set intervals on the powermeter, turning on the blinky "spin class" lights, firing up the speakers, off I went. Oops, first had to decide ... visit the doctor or ride with the ladies? (Sufferfest reference to Rubber Glove or Hell Hath No Fury video) - of course, went with the ladies - one day I'll catch the Garmin girl!
Not posting numbers as it was all about getting through it and re-wrapping my mind around the mental grit it takes to to tests (and the Outseason). Excited to get started!
Got my testing done just last night so a little late on the start. Numbers are: Wt.--190lbs, NP--262 so FTP of 249. Felt pretty good about it since first time on my tribike since IMFL 11/14! Onwards and upward.
Welcome to the fun part of the season. No one throws things at you or tries to run you over on the bike. I have never been punched kicked or grabbed while swimming laps. I have a headlight, flashing lights, reflectors and pepper spray so running outside is good. I don't need those things in my pain cave. Today I did the 4 minute intervals. I have not worked at that level in a very long time. In fact, January 22, 2015 was the last time I did VO2 max intervals. Then it was 5 minutes. I am thankful that the New OS has these starting at 4 minutes. I had no idea what level I would be able to do today. My goal was to try and hit 1.10 IF for the first interval. I figured if I could hit that, I could try for something better over the next few. I surprised myself and went 1.14 IF on the first interval. So, that was my benchmark as there can be no HERO TO ZERO. I did 4 more intervals and went 1.16, 1.15, 1.15, & 1.14. I finished the workout with a brick on the treadmill that also went very good. I hope everyone had the same experience. One thing I do before I start my WKO is to look and see what DJ & SS have done. Their efforts always give me inspiration.
Holy cow....this morning I thought 4x4 (6) would be easy. I mean 6 minutes of REST! But OMG. My hamstrings were literally quivering. And that was just the first OS bike.... yikes!
all I wanted to do this week is sleep. worn down from December. work hasn't slowed down. loss of power noticed on the bike at the beginning of the week. taking a couple of days to back off and then will pick it back up next week.
Apparently it is 2016 not 2015, so the 1.5x6 repeats I did today was not the workout that I was suppose to do. OMgosh, how embarasing is that. Why did I not check the training plan? I was running in from work. I literally had 1.5 hours to get the bike ride done, so I just went into Trainer Road and hit 2015 JOS. Anyway....today I did 6 x 1.5 @120% of FTP followed by 20min at 89% of FTP. Bone head move. Next week I will ensure to do the correct workout.
Comments
@ Julie - I prefer the trainer even in good weather for really hard work like VO2 intervals and even FTP intervals, so I don't have to worry about traffic, road hazards, etc. that said, I will do them outdoors in protected areas - meaning a park with restricted roads (eg, no cars over most of the route until 10 AM)
@ Robt - Swift sounds intriguing - the hardest part would be linking the times to corral a group?
On a separate note...in general this testing period is almost the most "fun"...we are all de-trained, got fat and jolly over the holidays so the way I see it, only way forward is to get stronger/faster and leaner...
Happy testing all!
Hello everyone. I am sliding into the JOS. I will be loosely following the WKO's. I have been focusing on RDP over the last month. That part of the JOS will continue. I am also going to give my best on the bike. I have only been riding one ride a week while focusing on the run. So, my bike legs are not quite there. I did 2 X 15' tonight followed by a 4 mile brick. I was very pleased with the bike as I pushed my intervals above .96 IF. I also completed both intervals in the aerobars. Like SS, I am trying to get my bike up near 4.0/kg. Good luck to everyone and train safe.
as for peer pressure, zwift is for the moment, strava is forever... the virtual smackdowns will be painful!!
@Julie - I use the roadie on the drainer and most of my early season riding. I do notice that i drop 10 watts as soon as i get on the tri bike (even sitting up in the horns) but then gain 12-15 watts for going outdoors... so there is an even swap..
also, what happened to your back? I am recovering from a herniated disc that i suffered 3 days before IMLP, also found the tri bike more comfy initially, and chiro who is a big cyclist was a proponent of it.
I like the Zwift idea. I've been using it the last few months during my run durability phase, and I had some great bike workouts on it. It is amazing how fast an hour can fly by on Zwift, and I had some seriously hard workouts during group rides and just doing sprints and trying to beat my earlier times on the climbs. I even chose to ride inside a couple of times when the weather was nice enough to go out... I think it is the reason I tested better than expected this week - I had some impressive IF numbers for many of those rides.
I think there is definite potential for EN group rides, workouts, etc. - especially for the longer weekend rides? How we keep a group together with abilities all over the board is a question - but maybe something can be worked out. Regroup after the intervals for a group lap around the island? Warm up as a group before hitting the intervals?
By the way, the workout files you create for zwift are stored as simple text files, and can be shared. So if one person set up a Saturday workout file, they could post it somewhere for the rest of us to download.
I think I would probably stick to TrainerRoad for the weekday interval sessions.
Regarding Zwift. I've done a handful of rides on it, but never quite to "into" it. I'd be interested in an EN training group ride- especially if we have a way to set the workouts up like in TrainerRoad.
I've become a huge fan of the TrainerRoad/Sufferfest video combo. I can almost always find a video/workout that matches (or comes very close) to whatever the EN prescribed workout is for the day and that takes care of my entertainment/motivation all in one shot.
I already wrote the wko onto Zwift but i believe it is stored locally on my computer rather than in the cloud:
/Users/TriDad/Documents/Zwift/Workouts/JanOS_Wk1_Thurs_1.zwo
It only takes a few moments to write and very similar to writing workouts in trainer road (i think even a little easier than writing in trainer road).
PLEASE respond to this post prior to 830pm EST if you want to try and meet for 430pm EST tomorrow otherwise I am setting my alarm for 430AM to start at 5am.
@Brenda, I do my long rides on Saturday as well but will be traveling the next 3 weekends. I will catch you on my return
Good first week so far getting back to some structure.
5 X 4' done: https://www.strava.com/activities/464997566/analysis
That sucked.
Feeding off of the below V02 explosions being posted .........just damn strong peeps laying down big numbers!
SS
Not posting numbers as it was all about getting through it and re-wrapping my mind around the mental grit it takes to to tests (and the Outseason). Excited to get started!
Welcome to the fun part of the season. No one throws things at you or tries to run you over on the bike. I have never been punched kicked or grabbed while swimming laps. I have a headlight, flashing lights, reflectors and pepper spray so running outside is good. I don't need those things in my pain cave. Today I did the 4 minute intervals. I have not worked at that level in a very long time. In fact, January 22, 2015 was the last time I did VO2 max intervals. Then it was 5 minutes. I am thankful that the New OS has these starting at 4 minutes. I had no idea what level I would be able to do today. My goal was to try and hit 1.10 IF for the first interval. I figured if I could hit that, I could try for something better over the next few. I surprised myself and went 1.14 IF on the first interval. So, that was my benchmark as there can be no HERO TO ZERO. I did 4 more intervals and went 1.16, 1.15, 1.15, & 1.14. I finished the workout with a brick on the treadmill that also went very good. I hope everyone had the same experience. One thing I do before I start my WKO is to look and see what DJ & SS have done. Their efforts always give me inspiration.
@chris... Way to push it... 4 minutes did seem pretty long today!