2016 JOS Wk 6 Bike Thread - Steep & Deep
As you most know by now, I spent much of this past week in my happy place, the Colorado Rockies. Skiing with Al T. While we weren't doing official workouts, there are two things Al takes seriously and if I had to guess, skiing is more important to him than Triathlon. The conversation at this morning's breakfast table. Me - "Al, I am glad I am leaving today, I don't think I can handle any more of the thrashings you are dishing out on the mountain." Al - "I'm taking today off, and it's you who have been dishing out the thrashings..."
"Steep & Deep" is the name of my favorite run at Vail, Al delivered me on Friday afternoon to a very similar trail at Snowmass with 30" of very fresh snow making the whole trip worth it.
"Steep & Deep is where our training goes this week. We will be steepening the bike curve with 2x20s on Tuesday and a 2nd helping of 5x4s on Thursday. We will be digging deep and looking deep into our psyche to muster up the mental fortitude to accomplish these Wkos.
Reading this & the running thread every week has certainly also has been educational and motivational, looking forward to reading lots more performance inspiring threads this week!
Comments
With all this opportunity for outside riding, I may be switching up the schedule a little (will work with Coach P in the Micro thread on that). The limited sunlight (and distance from my "home" to safe roads/trails) is still an issue for weekday rides, but it seems a total waste to sit on a trainer when I could be outside on Sat & Sun. Will keep you all posted.
@Jay, i've been doing what it has with the 10-12 minutes of gradual increase followed by a brief breather, and then the main set. I know some were talking about how they modify the TR wkos and add additional time to the beginning to include a longer warm up as recommended in our Training Plans. There is a program that you can use to modify or create your own workouts. I just stick to what is there, but it does feel limiting sometimes on both ends.
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/20368/Default.aspx
So..I felt it in the 2nd 20'.
What I was able to do was 1.03 and 1.0 (only 1W above target! after fighting for it the last few minutes!)
Here is the link--> https://connect.garmin.com/activity/1044235219
Good luck with your workouts this week
I think this is what Scott is talking about. Sorry, no video of Dinhofer, but a powder day is like an Ironman run: "No Friends"
Tues. bike done. Nothing special, just trying to get it done. 2 X 15' @ 1.02 & 1.01
Getting up extra early to get runs done as bricks.
I was wondering the effect of almost a week off of normal WKOs and three very hard days of skiing and how that would play out. No issues on the WKO today, 2x20 @.99 & 1.0, the last 5 minutes of the 2nd interval were a bit of a cage fight.
I was actually pretty psyched about this morning's 2x20' as I was going to attempt something I've never done before: 260 or higher for both. It was probably a little overzealous of a goal, but why not? WU was OK, but by 8:30 of the first one, 260 became a serious challenge. By 10', the watts were falling, and I had to surge to keep them up. Frankly, there are days where it's kinda fun to turn myself inside-out, and there are days where I have no interest in visiting that very dark place. Today was the latter. Converted the WKO to 3x12' on the fly. Hit 260 on the first. Got 262 on #2, but the last 3 minutes were pretty ugly. By halfway through #3, my legs were done. But I agreed that I could put up with 6 minutes of true suffering. So suffer I did. Got 265. Wasn't 2x20', but 235NP for an hour is still a legit WKO for my scrawny little legs. My best ever outdoor 20-min test NP is 270, so I'm bumping up against a personal ceiling. I would love to shatter through that ceiling, but I suspect the next 10 watts will be slow and difficult. 9 weeks to achieve new heights.
The rest of the week will be sketchy, with 6am and 11pm flights on the calendar, with nothing-but-work in between. But a week of relative rest after 5 weeks of this stuff is probably a good thing. Looking forward to seeing what the rest of the team accomplishes today.
I have enjoyed the discussions on w/kg. I liked MR's comment "The fact that top male pros can hold 4.0-2w/kg for 4.5 hours, then run a sub-3, is completely mind-blowing." For me, the fact that y'all are holding 4.2 w/kg for 4 minutes is mind blowing. I can always dream....and work.
Did the 2x20 yesterday at 1.02 and 1.08. I knew I was getting to the point I needed to redo my FTP and after reading William's comments I thought the 2x20 would confirm this. I still had a little left at the end to push it a little. Getting close to the 3w/kg number where I was before IMLou last year. Gotta keep pushing.
@ Mike - very motivating to say the least. I agree the next 10 watts will require hard work, BUT, with your mental 6 pack abilities, it is only a matter of time IMO.
@Captain D. - welcome back to the dark side. No way around it, 2 X 20s are BIG medicine and to get those done early in the morning is a HUGE deal, every time!
@ Mark L. - looking consistent and focused. Read your post early and used it to get my head on straight for my bike interval work. Thx man!
Made a visit myself to the dark side this morning on the 3rd interval. By the third interval, I am focused on getting through each minute and making it to the next minute then resetting........truly just hard F%#@!ing work:
https://www.strava.com/activities/489441274
Week 10 brings some real challenges on the mental fatigue front.......
Nice work this morning all!
SS
Waking up Monday, I had two bike workouts on my plate for the week. After that, I am taking my wife on her bucket list trip. This is our 30th year of marriage and we are heading to Israel for a week. There will be no bike from Friday through the following Saturday. Most likely with the anticipated Jet-lag from the return trip, I won't ride again until Tuesday the 23rd. So, today was bike WKO # 1. I really wanted to move the bar up today. I got on the bike and I could still feel the second interval from Saturday. I got going and the watts seemed to be there. I knew I was working, but I also knew there was more in my legs. I let the watts slip a bit over the last few minutes with hopes of having more for # 2. Over the first 10 minutes, I was at 258 watts only 2 watts below the first interval. However, I could feel the watts slipping. Over the next 4 minutes my lap average dropped to 254 watts. The next 4 minutes were bloody. I did everything I could to keep from losing more watts. Eighteen minutes in and it was what am I worth time. I dropped a gear and just started grinding. I averaged 274 watts for the last 2 minutes and raised my interval average 3 watts to 257W. That was all made possible by the workouts posted earlier. Thank you to each of you.
I confess to you my brothers and sisters for I have sinned in my thoughts and deeds - my transgression: failure to adhere to the principles of Rule #5. On Sunday, as a pre-run warm-up, I took my jello legs out on short bike ride but after retuning home failed to go on that long run....I enjoyed the Super Bowl and then Monday in lieu of the core workout I hit the pool....the local high school swim team led to an abbreviated 50 minutes of the planned 60 minute workout. Today, I was hoping to get back on plan. I did complete 2x20' (4') but I cracked time and time again for final IF of 0.94 and 0.95. It was clearly all in my head. I was convinced my legs were completely toast 11' into my second interval when a pack of riders suddenly passed me on Zwift. NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN - very mad at myself, I took off. Of course still in smart trainer mode I was prevented from going over my FTP of 310W but probably a good thing. I was able to hold a perfect IF of 1.o for the final 9'. Clearly an example of the 40% rule. I thought my legs had nothing left but all I needed was something to overcome my lack of adherence to the "V" and the riders on Zwift helped to snap me out of my weak moment (thanks whoever you are). I was able to knock out a brick run and follow that with Leg workout Circuit #2. Lessons learned, there really is truth to the 40% rule:
http://tpks.ws/gQJix
https://www.strava.com/activities/489804330
https://www.strava.com/activities/489859530
https://www.strava.com/activities/489859093
Kudos to the EN teammates still holding these workouts. You really are animals.
This week is starting out challenging, just as last week. I took Monday completely off as I was on call-late night in the OR. I had to sleep in this am just to get a little over four hours sleep. I did get done early today so was on the drainer by 4:30 pm. My legs felt tired on the warmup but finally kicked into gear: 2x15'@1.01,and 1.0, 1x5@ .85. I felt myself slipping a little in the second 15' but finished strong to make an even 1.0.And I too was dripping with sweat, the house isn't used to the warm temps yet. Then 3 mile slow bric, HR controlled, not like the 175 I saw at the end of the second 15' FTP. 81 degrees the high today-first run in shorts and sleeveless tank.
@Mark Lane - nice numbers that you should be hitting at this point of the OS
@Mike R - Ambition is a dangerous thing - as we all get fired up, for the initiated, be careful of following the experts into purgatory, STRONG recovery and reset to ensure a good wko, that's turning yourself inside out!
@ SS - always scared to read what you will put up, it's like a horror film, you don't want to look, but we have to look
@Carol - great effort - nice topping on the cake!
@Trent - schweet job swagging up the FTP so early... what IM are you doing this year? I fear for everyone in your AG...
@ Ed - a trip to the holy land! that's on the list... maybe we get an israman contingent going in a year or so... Be careful where you run, seriously... some countries or parts aren't safe to be out and about... talk to concierge...or front door security, most are ex-military
I feel I owe the rest comments, but the coffee cup is running low & i have to get out of bed...
STRONG work Robert, Betsy & Derrick, everyone's hitting stride here
I don't normally pick a number and try to ride it. I like to start modestly and build into an all out effort. I would have probably been able to go 300 for 15 or more had I started in the lower 290's... But I did it this way for a change of pace. Good to mix it up I guess.
I've got my updated marching orders with a modified schedule to allow for more outside time on the bike. In general- looks a bit more like a HIM or IM plan. I'll be riding Wed/Sat/Sun. But I'm gonna stay in here with the OS crew 'cause you all are really helping keep the mojo going!
Overdelivered achieving 1.15/1.16/1.15/1.16/1.15
link---> https://connect.garmin.com/activity/1046567081
Even when I am still using FTP of 210W as tested at the end of 2015... I know I am already higher... need to get back to 250 like I was in 2014 !!! but Patience and discipline !!!
Had to work late the last couple of nights, so I wasn't feeling great this morning. Once I got a sweat going on the bike actually felt good.
5 X 4's(4') @ 1.12, 1.13, 1.12, 1.13, 1.13
Got run done outside as a brick in a brisk 22 deg.
http://tpks.ws/yrTy
What Nemo said - everyone is just nailing the hard stuff!
I had to run late after work last night and worried about the effects of that on a 5 a.m. bike session. One of those mornings where you just start pedaling and do what you can with what you got at that point.....
After an extended warm up I was able to make it through 5 intervals of VO2 somehow.
Sitting at -13 TSB now.
I try to manage between -10 and -20 before recovery weeks come up. When I see -13 but feel more tired I just employ rule #5. -20 TSB and worse and I start finding ways to pull back and actually listen to my body.
I like having an accurate metric for fatigue, because otherwise, it becomes all too subjective to either go overboard or rationalize away a workout or interval here and there.
This morning's V02 bonanza: https://www.strava.com/activities/490966688
SS
The man from Texas is teaching a course on how to get it done. After what was clearly a long day, he went and ran 10 miles. Then, ten hours later he posted a set of 5 X 5' VO2 max intervals that has caused great worry for the Texas power authority. (They now see him as competition). I had some chores to do before I could get to my ride. We had a storm last night that left 3 feet of snow. When I did get to the ride, I knew there was a standard set. Reaching that standard was going to be hard. The first 4 intervals, I took a 4' RI. I needed a 5' RI for the final interval. That interval took two gear changes to get through. Finished the ride off with a quick 2 mile brick. My wife and I leave on our trip tomorrow morning. I am hopeful there will be at least a treadmill in the hotels we stay in. If I am lucky, maybe even a fitness bike so I can get a little pedal time in.
https://www.strava.com/activities/491305608/overview
Train smart and safe. Shalom
Today I was the bug. Up all night last night so very little in the tank for today's 5x4. However, there was enough EN mojo to at least get it done just above 1.10. No brick for me so I can do a group run in AM with friends.
Can't wait for the swimming to start.