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2016/17 NOS Week 3 Bike Thread - What motivates you?

Welcome to the week 3 bike thread.  It has been great seeing all the forum posts, questions and comments from so many people.  Let’s keep it going!

The bike work outs in weeks 3 are the same format, but the work is a little longer than last week.  Tuesday’s and Saturday’s are a little longer and there are a few more 30/30s on Thursday.  Remember to pace yourself, and don’t go from hero to zero.  It’s great to see a few of you have already realized bumps.  Let’ try to keep it rolling.

I’d love to hear what you all are listening too or watching.  I have a play list that I keep adding to with songs that motivate me.  What are you listening to? I’ve heard some comments on people watching Netflix.  What you are watching?  Also, if you’re lucky enough to get outside, where is your go to place to do the intervals?

Looking forward to learning from all of your posts as we have a great group here doing a great job of sharing knowledge




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Comments

  • I bumped the Tuesday bike session to today as I have a crazy week. not sure if it was the smartest after I raced in a 5k yesterday and added some miles on the front and back of it. But all said I got it done. Had been watching Billions on showtime on demand but too hard to pay attention during the work. I need to get a good playlist going. will definitely get some rest in tomorrow as my legs are toast. Question... When folks put in 1.02, 1.1, etc is that % of FTP? I managed just about middle of Zone 4.
  • @Patrick - Yes.  It is IF (Intensity Factor).  IF is the ratio of the normalized power to your functional threshold power. So NP/FTP.

    For the 30/30s on Thursday, the intervals are to short to calculate NP, so we use average power.

  • @Patrick - To add to what Brian said.  There is a range for z4 work 95-100% of FTP and 30/30's are done at low z5 or 110% of FTP using IF is a nice quick way to report the work being done.  If you are hitting mid zone 4 then you are fine.  You just don't want to hit 1.02 or 1.04 on the first set and then not be able to get the last one done in the 95-100 range. 

    Not specifically directed at Patrick but for all early on with the shorter work intervals you can overachieve but as the weeks mount and the fatigue builds this will become more difficult.  Watch your down stream workouts, check your resting HR when you wake to ensure you are not pushing yourself in to a position of overtraining. 

  • I'm going through older series shows that I have on dvd/Bluray

    I'm in the middle of Burn Notice season 6. Don't have anything in the queue after I finish season 7 in a couple of weeks.
  • Good, tough session this morning. Uncomfortable. Two minutes in between sets is not a lot of time. First one went ok - started looking at the time with two minutes to go. Second one - started looking at the time with 4 minutes to go. Third one, at 8 minutes to go. I was ready to get off. The coach notes about dissociating your mind and body came in to play on these. Next time, I'm going to block the timer. Time passes so much slower once I start watching. Listened to Amazon music on the headphones (some workout playlist) and watched the 2016 Tour of California on the laptop. Something about watching other cyclists suffer helps me get through it.
  • Accidentally turned off my Garmin during first set this AM as I had to rebuild a workout on the fly! Anyway, got it done and set two was better than set one. Run after was awesome. Except I'm traveling and the first half mile is up hill. No bueno. But having that on the return is pretty great.
  • I am listening to music (EDM and Die Antwood) and watched Kung Fu Panda 3. I honestly have no clue how people can watch TV and pay attention to it. If people looking for a good show on Netflix, start watching the Crown and The Glitch. I am just watching those shows before bed, not during bike rides.

    Today's workout was cut a few minutes short (got the main sets in).
    40 Minutes
    TSS - 47.5
    IF - .87
    NP - 138
    Pw - 128
    Target - 133
    Kj - 292
  • Really didn't feel like the ride today. Made myself head out anyway. Had a super trip. Beautiful day but a little windy. Glad I went, which is usually the case
    if I just start. If I don't then I feel miserable for not going.
    Ride 66 Minutes
    TSS 82.5
    IF .82
    Avg HR 126 Z4

    Did the run this morning and rode at lunch. Don't know if that's kosher, but the day required it. On to the run tomorrow.
  • @david- Right there with you.

    I didn't have much motivation either, but got it done. Only rode 45 min due to time constraints. I'll run in a bit while my daughter is at soccer practice.
  • I got in 60' yesterday, with 12' hard and another 15' zn3.  I can feel it today as I did back to back rides as I was off yesterday. 
  • I got my workout done early this morning and all I can say is I was glad when I was done. I watch Netflix but when it gets tough and I really need to focus (like on FTP workouts) I listen to music. So Tuesdays it's music, Thursdays Netflix and Saturday Netflix unless it gets really hard. I'm currently watching season 4 of Orange is the New Black and next up is Luke Cage.
  • new ftp yesterday

    2x20'@253w (6'), x .95 = 240w, up from 220w week1, +9%

    i only ride outside and my ftp workouts are always 2x20', i like simple workouts

  • Arnold,

    I'm curious, did you have a long layoff prior to the OS or a sub par test in week 1 as 9% is a huge over two weeks. 

    Nice work.  Back a few years ago EN used to have a 2X20'(2') test where you just included the whole 42 minutes.  Not saying you want to change test part way through but just what we used to do.  2X20 is a tough workout just watch that you are recovering from the workout.  Enjoy the new numbers.

     

  • Up at 3 am for a 6 am flight to Sacramento, CA. Back home at 7:30 pm, to get kiddos to bed. 10:15 pm on the trainer and wrapped up on the TM at 12:05 am. I found a new respect for those who travel and still manage to get their wko's in.

    2x12' @ 1.02 & 1.05
    5'@Z3

    It's been tough balancing body comp while fueling workouts properly. The insult diet game plan is quite a motivator here. Surprisingly, I it came together well today to support a solid bike w/o fading.
  • Got the bike done at 6:30 last night. I forgot how hard these bike workouts are. When you read the workout it sounds doable till your in the saddle trying to think of ways to keep the legs moving. Classic rock works best for me. Phil, nice work on the bike. I am not sure that I would have been able to that after such a grueling travel schedule.
  • Gordon

    I turned 65 this year, i went on medicare on 8/1/16

     when I was in Antarctica back in February/March, I decided to do something a little more athletic if i  could.  first I trained to climb Mt Rainier which I then Summited in early May, I then went on to train and climb the some 18k-20k mountains in Ecuador in june, then I went to Jackson hole in august  and summitted The Grand Teton by the upper exum route, plus some other technical alpine climbs.  i am thinking about Denali in june, (i am not sure i can suffer that much any more). my climbing progressed throughout the year

    anyway, when I got back from WY in August I thought I would try triathlon again, (i had raced off and on from 1984 to 2002 or so, I'm not sure exactly  when i had to stop,) even though I had not run in over 12 years, I started biking on 8/28 (ftp 190) , and running on 9/16, i started biking by just doing 2x20' a couple of times a week, i think i now have done about 21 ftp workouts. my biking is coming along ok, my running is a work in progress, i am not swimming yet.

    i haven't signed up for any races - i am waiting to see how the 14 week OS works out

  • I did the bike workout last night after I got home from physical therapy.  The 2 min recoveries were tough.  I flailed the third set from a power standpoint, but I was able to keep my heart rate elevated and finish the set.  The 8 minute ABP (Z3) started rough, but I got a second wind for the second half.

    Ended up with 3 X 11' @ 103%, 103% and 90%.  I will definitely pace these petter next week and be more mentally prepared. 

    I have a playlist that I have been listening to, but  I've listened to the playlist so much, I think it's losing it's effect.  I used to watch ITU races on the Ipad, so I may start doing that as well. 

    @Arnold - Holy cow!  That sounds awesome! (FTP bump and mountain climbing)

    @ Phil - Way to get it done!

     

  • Got mine done last night - 12' @ 1.00, 12' @ 1.00, 7' @ 0.87, 7' @ 0.86. The 2' rests, as said, are killer. Nothing pretty about my WKO, but got the work done. Answering the motivational media question, last night was some nice hard rock (Seether, A7X) for the first part, and Blues hockey for the second part.

    Great work, all!
  • The 30/30s this morning were fun and doable, but then trying to hold Z3 for 25 min- my legs felt dead! I managed to hang on, but I'm definitely feeling these hills I'm running on at my travel location. I'm putting the run off until tonight.
  • I did the 30/30s this AM too. Very manageable and easy to be 5 - 12 watts over the target. Not sure that's a good thing or not so good, but will see how I'm doing at week 6. I've noticed the Thursday EN workout has these at low Z5 (110%) but Trainer Road workouts have target watts at 120%. Are you guys doing 110 or 120% ?
  • @Derrek - I didn't notice they were supposed to be 110% until this week. I've been targeting 120%. Last OS had 4'-5' Z5 sets at 110% and I liked those just fine. Like you, I will see how I am performing them in week 6-7.
  • @ Derreck - This should vary from person to person.  The interval should be done at the  best effort you can hold consistently across all of the intervals.  If you can do higher and still be consistent then do it. The main thing is that they are consistent.  If you can't hold them, then it's too hard.

  • @Derrek - Sorry for mispelling

  • I tried the dual Zwift/TR option suggested by Ian today on the 2x10's. Worked great right up until the recovery interval between the two, then I got the blue screen of death. I guess my old computer is lacking in ability, one more thing to upgrade. Or it was the monstrous wattage being put out...or not. :-)
  • @Duane, x2 on the Watts!
    @Brian, no problem. Thanks for the guidance.
    @Phil, I liked the 5x4' @1.10 from last year too. I wonder why they changed.
  • @ Derrek I had just been blindly doing the TrainerRoad workouts. I did not even check if they matched %s
    @ Duane, most certainly the Watts! You will need to upgrade the computer to deal with all your POWER!

    I feel like this week is going well, had less trouble this week hitting all the 30s on and made it through most of the Z3, today I ran out of time, not legs.
  • 30/30 vo2max workout

      I just go somewhat hard, and I am trying both easier gears and higher cadence (70-80rpm) and bigger gears with lower cadence (60-70rpm)

    I am getting higher power with easier  gears and higher cadence (70-80rpm for 30" ave)

    warm up:

    10' easy, then

    22' @ 90% ftp

    main set:

    set 1 - (289w-309w) - ave - 296w/240ftp = +23%

    set 2 - (304w-335w) - ave - 313w/240ftp = +30%

     

    weather was perfect for riding @ 7am (cooler temps make the intervals easier) - about 57 deg when I started warming up

     

    I was doing 5x5' (5') @ 260w-270w, so the 30/30's are much easier - so higher watts

  • I found the 30/30s to be pretty challenging, but I managed to average 121% for both sets.  Of course, the erg mode in Trainer Road makes you stay pretty consistent.  I also think the 5 X 4' at @110 were more challenging, but these are getting harder as they add more each week. I peaked ahead to week nine and see that advanced has 2 sets of 16.  Assuming the FTP will be higher, that is going to be tough!

    I also had Zwift open on my laptop, so I was playing games trying to catch people on the intervals that passed me during recovery.  I added a little techno to my play list and that helped change things up a bit.  I am getting sick of the same songs.  

  • Completed the 30/30's last night. Felt like a good workload - was not approaching failure at any point, but still working a little. Still have residual knee pain from Wednesday's long run, so I skipped the brick run and will not be completing the run today either. It's an over-training pain that I've dealt with in the past. Haven't adapted to the increased volume of two long runs/wk. Should be good to go for Saturday and Sunday.
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