2016-2017 DOS Week 3 Bike Thread - Christmas Can Can
Welcome to week 3! Are you feeling it yet? I know I am, so much so that I took the day off yesterday and did some holidaze prep. Speaking of which, there are a couple of major holidays happening this week. You’ve probably heard that Christmas is next Sunday and this year Hanukkah starts on Saturday as well. There’s another event this week that’s near and dear to my heart (no not the 3X11’ Z4 intervals, though that’s close), the Winter Solstice is on Wednesday, December 21st at 2:44 AM PDT. That means that the sun has reached its southernmost point and begins to head north and bring longer days to the northern hemisphere! By the end of the DOS it won’t be so dark for those evening runs or rides and it should be a little easier to get up in the morning. Woohoo!
As Scott posted in the run thread it’s going to be a busy week. Remember to read the notes in the training plan where is says that the coaches have no volume goals for the OS. Get the main sets done, cool down, and get off the bike if you’re pressed for time. Some of you may have house guests or may be travelling and getting the bike in may be difficult. If so, turn this into a run focus week. For instance, it’s going to be difficult for me to do the bike later in the week because our pain cave is going to be dismantled and turned back into a bedroom for my daughter, so I’ll be running more than biking. Do what you can but don’t stress if you can’t get everything done. Personally I’m looking at this as a recovery week. I have 6+ months to my A+ race and missing a workout or two this week is not going to affect it that much. Visiting with my family is much more important to me at this point in the triathlon year.
Happy holidaze everyone. Here’s a celebratory song of the week. See if this energizes your Vo2 intervals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFopE
As Scott posted in the run thread it’s going to be a busy week. Remember to read the notes in the training plan where is says that the coaches have no volume goals for the OS. Get the main sets done, cool down, and get off the bike if you’re pressed for time. Some of you may have house guests or may be travelling and getting the bike in may be difficult. If so, turn this into a run focus week. For instance, it’s going to be difficult for me to do the bike later in the week because our pain cave is going to be dismantled and turned back into a bedroom for my daughter, so I’ll be running more than biking. Do what you can but don’t stress if you can’t get everything done. Personally I’m looking at this as a recovery week. I have 6+ months to my A+ race and missing a workout or two this week is not going to affect it that much. Visiting with my family is much more important to me at this point in the triathlon year.
Happy holidaze everyone. Here’s a celebratory song of the week. See if this energizes your Vo2 intervals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFopE 0
Comments
Mark thanks for opening up the thread and reminding us of the holiday stress/activities schedule.
I hope all are crediting themselves with extra TSS points just for getting the holiday work load done.
I was able to get in some bike interval work this morning: https://www.strava.com/activities/807029980
I suffered coming off some hard work/fatigue this weekend but able to my hit mim. targets!
Have a crank bending day!
SS
I got up early and got the 3x11 done all in the 230-235 range. I will say today I paid more attention to my HR between the sets with a focus on driving it down. I had talked to P and it appeared I was not getting enough "rest" to really get the most out of the set. Based on how I felt and looking at the numbers, I still think there is work to be done there. I was already using a 3 minute rest but will likely bump it to 4 to try to help fully reset the HR next week. I do think this is why that third set seems so much tougher than the other two. Good luck everyone!
@ Mark and Scott - that's just plain old fashioned elbow grease the way you two are knocking out those Z4 intervals.....nothing easy about it, just work! Nice job and keep leading!
Somewhat of a rough morning for me as I had much of the same Z4 interval work and had to manage through it with a fatigue load on my legs from yesterday.
https://www.strava.com/activities/807824930
Keep moving forward all!
SS
Feeling really good on the bike so I am continuing to push these efforts higher. I seem to be tolerating it well. Work efforts done in 264,268,269 and able to elevate the watts in the last minute of each effort. Pushing a little above Z4 as that just feels right (FTP 258)
Sorry that I dropped off the planet. I was sick last week and was told to "STAND DOWN!" By our ever present Coach. Feeling much better. Planning on raking out the bike after the family gets up. Then spending the rest of the day baking cookies. I have 5 12 year old girls arriving tonight to have a christmas cookie party! Ya me!
Have a safe and wonderful Holiday! My Christams present is supposed to arrive today!!!! New PT pedals. Thanks Santa!!!!!
@ Jacklyn, glad to see you're back in the saddle again. I hope you're feeling much better. Ummm, cookies!
@ Scott, way to get it done. Enjoy the family.
@ Rafe, good work. If the intervals are feeling too easy then you might want to retest before the 8 week mark. I don't know if this is your first OS, but I had some pretty significant gains the first time and I retested early to bump up the numbers legitimately. The coaches say you can always substitute a retest for an FTP workout.
I was still feeling pretty punk this morning when I got up so I called in sick again and went back to bed. After a couple of hours of sleep I got up and felt better. I took the dog for a walk and then decided to try the bike since the pain cave has to magically transform to a bedroom today since my daughter is coming home for Christmas. I normally turn the heat off in the room when I workout but I kept it on and started on the ramp up per Trainer Road. By the end of the warm-up I was sweating and feeling pretty good so I hit the 30' intervals in earnest. Vo2 target is 264 so I started there and built up to 284 by the end of the first 12. I started the second 12 at 280 and built up to 324 by the end of the second 12. If I'm remembering correctly (I'm downloading the webinar now) Coach R said that since we're going to the 30' intervals then we can go higher than the traditional 120% so that's why I decided to build the intervals across the ride. The last 4 were hard but not so hard that I feel trashed. I also got off the bike feeling better than I did before the ride. Win-win. I had some lunch and felt so good that I went to work and got some stuff done so I don't have to think about it over the weekend. Win-win-win.
The bike is in hiatus until next Tuesday because of house guests. I guess you'll just have to ride extra hard for me this weekend. I'll be watching.
@MM- Good job getting it done! FYI cookies are great! I had one. Only one. Yes I do have that kind of self control.
Now for that bike. That was FUN! Started out for the first 8 conservatively and stayed with ftp. A little too easy. So decided to drop the hammer and go for it on the second set. Started at 283. Maxed the last 3 at 343 watts. That's just how wonder women rolls! I have my cape hanging in the pain cave with matching socks!
For 30 seconds I got to join the 4 watts/kg club. Maybe someday I can stretch that out. Big goals.
Have a great evening everyone.
~Jacklyn
It looks like I'm back on track with DOS cycling, at least. I managed an "ease into it" session on Tuesday, and then the week 3 VO2 30/30s today. Only problem is, this Saturday I'll be watching the last episode of Fargo S2 which has supported me through OS biking so far this year. Since my wife won't watch Game of Thrones with me (I've already seen all the seasons), maybe I'll go through again it in prep for what I assume will be the final season this coming March.
It's perfect trainer weather here - about 45F and drizzly. I do my workouts just outside an upstairs porch door, looking into the TV and hooked up to sound via earphones. At that temp, bike shorts are all I need to be comfortable.
Running is an issue though and I am in run jail or at least a week. I hurt my Achilles (actually the tissues behind it) during my first5k run test and it never got better so I went to arrest yesterday and he worked me over. It might take another session or two but this has happened before and he has always gotten me going again quickly. Till then, I am actually going to swim till I can run again...
Finally getting my DOS going. Body not quite ready for the intensity of a test, so just lowered my power to something doable-onward and upward from here.
Thu. bike done. MS 1 2x8's(30/30) done in the 270's w, MS 2 done in the 290's w. Pretty good. Run done as a brick.
@ JM - very nice work! Beginning the OS with momentum!
@ML - looking strong and smart my friend!
@Jimmy - glad to see you in the group Ironman!
We are lucky to have Al in our OS. I learn from this master almost every time the guy posts anything!
Again, I am on a different schedule with a few things moved around like my long run on the weekend vs. what the DEC OS schedule has.
After two days back to back of leg shredding bike intervals Tues/Wed I did a Thurs recovery bike on the trainer at IM watt intervals: https://www.strava.com/activities/808656769
Did not feel like recovery......
Happy Friday all!
SS
Sat. bike work done. Solid 90' workout. 3x8's all @ .97, 2x6's @ .96. Run done as a brick, only 2 mi. 40 deg. and raining.
Got the intervals done before the football and children came. No brick, as I am taking a week off running to hopefully kickstart the hamstring/glute healing.