JOS Bike Thread Week 9 - Last week before Test week!
OK, Lots of great work being posted in the threads. Also lots of folks making good decisions when Life and health issues interfere with training. We have been building in more VO2 intervals during the week across this 4 week block with long rides on the weekends.
There has been some discussion about how the team rides on the weekend figure into the training plan. The truth is that the really don't but some of us who have been through the OS are finding them motivating and a good way to speed up the passage of time on the trainer. If you really need to work on that steady riding skill for race day, then stick with the plan. If you want to have your ass handed to you (in a fun way) and see just how hard you can go, you might consider dropping in on one of the rides on Sat or Sunday.
Comments
I returned from skiing a week ago Friday AM, and started riding daily on Saturday. All on Zwift, progressing from 20 km/37' to 102 km.4:15 8 days later. Tired me out well and good, but since I hadn't run in 3 weeks and was also slowly building back in that discipline, it felt good to get a volume/fitness pop.
Today, I used a Zwift Time Trial in Richmond as my FTP work...28' for one lap (16km) of the UCI World's course there. I was about 28th out of 34 finishers, going @ 0.975 IF and a VI of 1.005, a pretty good TT AND FTP workout.
The Saturday CnC will once again be in NYC, which takes us 2 hr 5' to go 67 km. I'll be leading, so you are sure to have a 2.7 overall w/kg to shoot for, including the "flats" @ 2.2-2.5, and the three climbs of 4' each @ 3-4 w/kg.except for those 12' climbing, it's all about holding steady at what is my HIM pace.
Last week was a little busy with some travel for business but got in the workouts. Only doing the Tuesday VO2 intervals as I have done some damage in the past doing the shorter more intense intervals. Hanging at about 120% to 130% seems to work for me without causing problems. Substituting an FTP ride for the Thursday ride and keeping Saturday and Sunday as is. Feeling the work at times but seem to be getting enough recovery time. Looking forward to another week of consistency.
Some mornings, eating nails for breakfast is a hard thing to do. Especially when you look out the window and there's snow on the ground and the temperature is 14 degrees.
Today was one of those days but after the first of the five 3' intervals I found a groove a got it done. I even increased the difficulty on the last four and feel pretty good about the work completed. I'll complete a 30' run sometime later today.....treadmill of course.
Keep up the good work, friends!
I agree with @Todd Bray , today was a struggle to get going. Once I got on the bike, it took me to the second interval to feel good to go. I got the six intervals done at 1.13 IF and a 35' TRP treadmill run with three strides shortly there after.
Ran 4.5 miles this morning as a bookend to Army PT session. 6x3' were not super exciting fun tonight, but I was able to get them in...toned it back 5-10 watts from last week. I think body is getting ready for a break...will reevaluate prior to Thurs intervals.
Knowing ya'll are getting after it every day helps me to stick with the program; hard to believe we are 9 weeks in!
Finally got my mojo back with HR matching power at FTP. I guess that means my cold is gone,,, and its time to get back to work. I chose my “favorite 54 min WKO”: The Sufferfest Angels. I used my newest FTP and produced 11’ of Zn4 and 16’ of Zn5. The 8 min attack on Angliru was brutal. here’s nothing like a breakthrough WKO to remind you that all this work has made us fit... in the first week in March. I’m aiming for 2x20’ at Sweetspot on Thurs. This weeks Sat am long run will be an 8mi race, so the two weekend rides will be a test of my mental focus. Week 9 will be the lower slopes of the final JOS climb. Need to check my “Tron Bike Numbers.” Lets do this together :-)
Did the 5x3' and had enough left in me to push the last one a bit harder, so either becoming more comfortable at the pace or seeing some gains (1.16, 1.15x3, 1.17). Hopped on the TM after and knocked out a quick 5k, was starving so stopped at that to eat dinner.
Thursday's VO2 workout complete. The 5x30" intervals weren't bad. My heart sank a little when I realized there were 8x1' intervals (8 of them!??!), but the first six went okay. IF between 1.28 and 1.31. Intervals 7 and 8 were tougher (1.32 and 1.29), but I had someone I had been playing rabbit with on Zwift so they allowed me to catch up.
I've got a quick weekend trip planned so I'm trying to frontload some work. I wanted to do Friday's 35' TRP run after the bike, but I stopped it short after only 1 mile as I felt fatigued. My TrainingPeaks form is -34 right now and per the webinar from last week, all the WSM's mentioned you start to get in that red zone at that level. I want to play it smart and not be a March hero.
SO, evidently I did not hit the "post" button when I typed this MONDAY.
This week is going to be a bust on the bike for me. I am out of town for the weekend and will probably race the Kiss Race Thursday AM as a "C" and help continue the EN world domination of the "C" KISS racing group.
Because of an early day tomorrow, I knocked out tomorrow's workout tonight after changing every battery in every piece of tech that I own after my Zwift fail yesterday. I shortened the recovery intervals and was still able to hit the intervals. Overall, it felt pretty good.
Thursday KISS race = Test Week
@Rory Gumina Totally paced me the whole time and When I went out too hard the last K he was there to take it home when I blew up 200 M from the finish.
HUGE Bump @Ralph Moore !
... and ... with @Sabra Gonzalez (leading the way!), and @Mark Edwards, we were 1st Place C Team!
Whoot Whoot!! Great job @Ralph Moore @Rory Gumina and @Mark Edwards !!
Pain is more fun when it is shared!!
Great job @Ralph Moore, @Rory Gumina and @Mark Edwards!
I just the the lvl 2 BF workout on Thurs, first 30" interval weren't bad. Held together pretty good through the 6x1' until the last where between a chain slip and being tired it was a tough push (all around 1.5 IF). Did an easy 5k recovery run afterwards.
@Ralph Moore Nice bump sir! Those races will get it done every time!
Yesterday was less than normal horrible, though the 1' pulls were definitely bringing the pain.
Looked at my effort for my season starting FTP test and now starting to dread next week's test. I hit some HR levels I've never seen on the bike, and rarely ever hit running. Maybe I was just out of shape at the time...ugghh.
Looking forward to the weekend. Thinking about rolling out with the C&C tomorrow, but part of me wants to get after a double Alpe ascent. Guess I'll see how getting up for a 6:55 start works for me in the morning. Have a great weekend of riding all!!
How early is that KISS AM ride...guess way pre-crack ass dawn for west coasters?
@Mark Hickman the KISS race that we do is at 6 AM Eastern so probably too early for the west coast unless you are an imsomniac. The KISS series has lots of other races fin various time zones. The 6AM one is actually an evening race in the asia pacific time zone I think.
Three Sisters with 20min of FTP effort on Epic KOM. Held IF of .83 for the remainder of a 2hr ride. Felt like I was training for a long course triathlon :-)
Had a pretty decent weekend on the bike...and the run.
7:20 on the bike, overall TSS 939, and another 12K towards the Tron...almost there; about 17K to go I think??
Did the CNC ride on Saturday with @Al Truscott leading the way. While it wasn't the steady state Z3 and Z4 set in the normally scheduled Sat ride, I did end up with more TSS than previous "normal" rides. Interesting as I didn't feel the work was nearly as intense.
Lots of great rides this week, and looking forward to seeing everyone's FTP test results next week. I'm always hesitant to test, because it's hard and it sucks, but also excited to see where we all land. Thanks for the continued mojo! Mark
Travel week for me (its Monday and the start of Week 10). Travel to Tucson tomorrow. Trying to decide today whether or not to pack my road bike for the plane ride out there (Southwest) and the train back (just because).
Given that I modified my week and did a Zwift Ramp test this morning. I've never done one so just wanted to try out that protocol for estimating FTP. Also, legs were unrested from the week 9 Saturday/Sunday workouts.
The ramp test estimated 228, which exactly hits my previous FTP. Pretty pleased given that I did not rest.
Good rides this weekend, did the C&C ride led by @Al Truscott then followed it up with another hour. Thanks for all the jokes & riddles Al, they kept it interesting. Although I am pretty sure they tried to drop me when my kids came over to ask me something, as next thing I know I as 10+ seconds behind and had to hammer it catch back up.
Then did an hour on Sunday post my long run with ~10 - 15-30 sec sprints thrown in. Will see what test week has in store for me this week.