Duane Dennis Micro...
Duane, I posted your comments below...so we have them.
I am okay with you inserting SufferFest approximation videos in...that's okay as long as the work increases incrementally like our sessions do.
For example, we can't have you at 3x10 for 4 weeks...we need 3x10, then 3x12, then 3x15, etc.
Sounds like a retest is in order...I suggest you plan on a retest in your next Tuesday session (after a full monday off, and ideally a Sunday early workout). That should dial the work in a bit more!
Hope that helps!!!
~ Coach P
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Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I tried really hard to find my micro thread to ask this, but to no avail...
Looking at doing the bike 30/30's today, and I wondered if I could sub the Sufferfest Revolver workout instead. It features 1min on/1min off x 15. It really holds my attention better, and with the delay in kickr spin up, I don't think I'm getting the full 30 secs anyway. Here's a look at it:
THE WORKOUT
BREAKDOWN
- 7:30 Warm-Up, featuring footage from the Women’s 2012 Track World Championships and the 2012 Downhill Mountain Bike World Championships.
- Then the main event – 15x 1:00 intervals, with 1 minute rest in-between each interval, for a total of 30 minutes of intervals.
- The ‘on’ intervals are not for the faint of heart. They should be done at 9/10 on the RPE (recommended perceived exertion scale). They feature footage from the UCI Track World Championships 2012, the UCI Cyclocross World Cup 2012 and World Championships 2013 and the Women’s UCI World Road Championships 2012.
- The ‘off’ intervals features some beautiful footage descending the Col du Soler, from Cyclefilm.com.
- 4:00 warm-down featuring some footage from a bike ride around Norwich, UK in 1935.
I did the Sufferfest Angels workout in lieu of the 3x8', as that's the same type work, but also with a 10' set of ftp over/under. With your concurrence, I'd like to be able to swap Sufferfest stuff in for simlar bike workouts. I'm used to doing them, and they work better for me. Just sitting on TR, and even the TR/zwift combo just doesnt do it for me. I've actually found the EN TR stock bike workouts pretty easy, which makes me think my initial FTP test was probably a fail. Then again, I'm used to the flogging of the Sufferfest stuff, and maybe the EN workouts are supposed to be easier starting out.
Looking forward to retesting now that I feel like I have the kickr pretty dialed in.
CTL is still going up. I did have to dump one long run this week. I got delayed on my trip, and there was simply no way of making it happen. I'm padding in a little extra work on the brick runs to still get a little of that lost work made up, but not so much that it hurts the overall workout goals. It's all good till weather hits, and I roll into the hotel 3-4 hours later than scheduled. Doesn't happen alot, but it's going to happen. That's the way my life rolls.
Take care,
Duane
Comments
Thanks! That's a great point with the videos. I can up the intensity, but the duration of each interval is not as easily done. That's something I will pay attention to. When it works, it'll be a nice break.
I won't be able to test Tues, as my schedule is a bit customized from the standard. Hopefully next Thursday, I'll sub in a FTP test, now I think I have things pretty dialed Kickr, and see what that gets me. 
Good luck!
~ Coach P
Sorry Coach, somehow I missed this. What picture would you like? I'll post whatever I got!
I didn't do the FTP retest this week . This week was kind of a rough one, and I started feeling the built up fatigue on my legs/knees, and decided to just stick the the current FTP. I did add some time/intensity to the bike workouts. Only got one of the long runs in again, do to work conflicts, but I did get one, a couple bricks, and a 5km at TRP on the dreadmill.
This does bring up a question though, if you look at my Training Peaks, you'll see I've been upping my CTL since 8/1. As I look forward to my HIM in April, is it possible to run a 9 month build on CTL without breaking down? My knees are kinda feeling it, and I've only been doing 4 runs a week the last couple of weeks. My huge limiter is going to be the run, and to improve that, I gotta run. OTOH, I gotta keep the knees functional enough to run.
My gut feeling is that I need to cut back to like two shorter z3-z5 type runs, and then one building long run(longer each week, to be done at home). Sorta like the run less, run faster program if you are familiar. Or, will I get into trouble doing the faster shorter duration stuff, as it kinda conflicts with the run durability program?
I really appreciate your feedback...it's important to note that your CTL is never completely linear...what seems like a steep trend now will likely taper off as the workload become similar (and only dials up a bit). Just look at any ANNUAL chart vs a QUARTERLY one.
That said, that chart doesn't lie.
You've been on a mission since August for the Bike, and Sept for the Run...the last few weeks of running have been epic for you, and the bike too. We can't continue to do that for too long. :
I like run less, but I want to keep the intensity down. I don't want 2 runs and 3 rides at high intensity a week....too much. And given your weekly run mileage is around 15 I'd like to keep it there but without the hard running. I could see 3 x 3 mile runs @ TRP and one by 6 mile run @ TRP...let's do 2 to 3 weeks of consistent (but not hard) running and see what that does for your chart...deal?
Thanks Coach P! Admittedly the knee soreness has been of my own making, as I haven't done a great job of sticking to the TRP part of the run durability program. I've been creeping up into running more Z2 - Z4 effort than is called for in the plan. That said, I'm really trying hard to not make the same mistake I made last Summer, with the ever increasing CTL, right until it(and other issues) slammed me into a wall.
I think the tweaks seem totally doable. Still working on how to create a viable schedule. With my constant travel, my week to week schedule can be fairly dynamic. While I easily have the time available throughout the week, it's just not always at the ideal spot on the calendar. Rather, I think I need to look at the workouts to be completed that week, and schedule each wko in the hole that it fits best that specific week. This is going to become even more nutty when I jump to the HIM plan trying to fit swim wkos in as well.
While less than ideal, do you have any general guidance in this regard?
Thank you for feedback!!
Red = Important
Yellow = Try to work them in.
Green = Nice to have if the stars align.
That way you are only dealing with a few sessions. If that still isn't enough, you can reach out to me say every Friday with your following week's schedule and I can make things happen from there!
~ Coach P
Got a question for you. I had been on a pretty good roll as I headed into last week, then I started feeling kinda tired and worn out, decided that I should probably just focus on the big stuff, ie the testing, and consider it a recovery week. I did plan on doing some big work on Sunday.
A few hours after running my 5k on Sat, I knew I was in trouble. My wife had been sick all week, and I thought I had escaped it, but I guess that was the tipping point, and developed a serious cold/flu/chills/sinus bug. I mean it knocked me out, I was in bed all Christmas Day. And I'm still in bed off and on today. I'm not one to get sick, and rarely give in to if it if I do, so this really kicked my tail. Still fighting that off right now, too worn out physically to consider training. Mentally, I'm rearing to go, but I know I need to chill and get well.
My question is, once I'm ready to go, how do I get back on track with the program? Would it be best to redo the week before the testing week? Or just jump into week 9 on the day I feel ready to start back. Should I do less volume, less intensity, or all the above? I sure don't want to relapse, but watching the blue line fall is killing me... :-)
Hope you and your family are enjoying a great Holiday Season!
Thanks!
Man I'm sorry to hear that. Getting sick in the winter really sucks, but you're doing the right thing by resting. Most important thing to remember is that The blue line is not a predictor of your race performance. It's only the representation of the work you've done, and sometimes the"work" that needs to be done is resting. There's no sexy line for that.
I recommend between four and five easy aerobic days to get back in the groove. This is because most people come back a day or two too early, and regardless your muscles will need to loosen up.
There's no need to retest, instead I would plan on following Week 9's workouts for time but not intensity. All we are looking to do is create a routine and introduce your body back to that concept of exercise.
For now just rest, sleep, hydrate and work on strength or flexibility. If you're going insane a nice walk might do you good!