ALL New March OS!
So, As all of my outdoor races have been cancelled until Sept, I have decided to start the OS over and do it once more just for fun. This IS NOT AN OFFICIAL EN THING. It is just a thing. I need the structure of a workout plan and with no race on the books for several months, I am working through the OS bike workouts one at a time in order as an opportunity to keep my personal training on track. My goal is to get my FTP over 300 watts and/or watts /kg to 3.1 in the next few months.
I am going to be using this thread to post my progress on a several times weekly basis. If you are also having to reassess after cancelled events and are looking for some structure, feel free to drop in and do some MOS and get some reinforcement/encouragement as needed.
I am doing the Zwift Level 2 bike workouts and did Week 2 Tuesday yesterday. The 12 min interval at 110% ftp kicked my butt but I got through it. As I have some extra time on my hands tomorrow, I will most likely climb the alpe in Zwift doing the Thursday workout and look forward racing on Thursday AM.
Feel free to drop in/out as your needs dictate. I will plan to be here for the next 11 weeks.
Comments
Go get it @Ralph Moore !!
My first race of the season was cancelled yesterday, but....I have decided that I am still going to train for it as it was still going to go and on the day of the event I will run it. 25km trail run on April 25.
This is Brenda Ross by the way.
@Ralph Moore I'm with you! My "A" race for the season (70.3 Santa Rosa) was supposed to be May 9, and was just postponed to some unknown date in the future. I don't do well with "unknown" so I threw a dart and am guessing that they'll reschedule to some time in September. That's far enough out that there's relatively low risk of having to push it again or cancel it, and it avoids the obnoxiously hot weather of August. That's my rationale, anyway.
So, purely by coincidence, this puts the new race day 26 weeks out, which means I'm now planning to do a full 14 week OS and then a full 12 week HIM plan. Here we go!
Goals:
@Larry Peters come and play. You know you want to...
@John Katsoudas come and race the "Bump race" Sunday night with me. it is super short (about 30-35 min) and you get the EN Kit. (and also an FTP bump if you are lucky). We are close in FTP but I bet you are lighter than I am so I won't feel bad when you leave me. I am 210 lbs at 282 watts. I would love to get over 300 watts too. My current w/kg is 2.96 and I really want to get over 3.0.
This was OS Wk 3 Thursday level 2 done a day early. Not too bad feeling. This 48 min gets me to turn 12 on Alpe du Zwift.
Thanks @Ralph Moore. As a West-Coaster my Team EN Zwift ride options are somewhat limited, so I'll definitely be checking out either the Sunday evening or Monday evening bump sprint races going forward.
I've had my couple of days of sulking around the house and eating everything in sight, so it's time to turn off CNN and go get changed and get on the bike now 👍️. My "OS II" doesn't "officially start until next week, so I get to just ride around and enjoy not riding a structured WO in ERG mode for once.
Sufferfest video this AM before work. It felt harder than it should have. Either I am tired or the trainer got harder. Anyways, it is done. Can you tell where I turned ERG off?
Joining! I was March OS before COVID-19, so it’s business as usual rolling to IMMT. If that race falls away, I figure there are bigger things to worry about, so I’ll just enjoy the journey and do a self-supported IM.
@Ralph Moore: I’m planning to maintain the bike FTP I’ve built in JOS and resetting to MOS week 1, with a focus on continuing my successful Run Durability build. I want to keep my TSB in the -5 to -10 range so I don’t get run down. Hoping for some Short Course races in June and July. Maybe Boulder 70.3 in early August.
I decided to kick off my new OS in style by doing the Bump Sprint race tonight. Just like that, I checked two goals off my list - I did my first Zwift race and got the EN team kit.
TSB right on target between -5 and -15 to start MOS. Steady as she goes EN.
@Dave Tallo Welcome! The more the merrier.
@John Culberson OK, Just to keep the party together, I restarted at week 1 of the OS and did the Tuesday Workout tonight.
@John Katsoudas Strong Work! I mentioned my plan to do the Bump race Sun with you but my SAU account was in the red and I got waylaid redecorating rooms and moving furniture. Great Job.
OS Lvl 2 Wk 1 Tuesday workout is Done! Note that I modified the workouts to just have the main set so that I can get them done in about 45 min before work. It was hard for that last interval, I just had to close my eyes and count the pedal revolutions and try to keep my stroke smooth. the HR got up a bit but I made it.
See you guys in Zwift.
Thanks @Ralph Moore. Nice work on today's ride! No worries at all on the race. I was planning to do the bump sprint race again this evening but bailed for similar reasons. Yesterday was my first time racing on Zwift. I was hanging tough with the lead pack until 1 mi. to go, and then got dropped like a bad habit. Oh well. We'll chalk that up to a learning experience.
I’m in for the Virtual 5K on Sat. Test run today on tired legs scored me a new fastest mile for 2020. TSB sitting at -6 with a hard 45’ bike in Watopia tomorrow
@John Culberson sweet! my run is pretty well stuck at a steady pace of 10 min miles. I can go har for a mile or two at the most but then I am back to slow.
I raced the Crit City 8 lapper last night for the first time. That is an interesting race format. I can see that it could work like the bump race because it is short and yet very motivating. I was looking pretty good for the first 10 min and then my HR got a bit high and I had to back it off. Still, I got a new 10 min power at 311 watts. I will take that and move on. I Run today for my Final Surge 5k then Wk 1 OS Thursday bike workout tomorrow PM.
@Brenda Ross I just got the last line of that earlier post. You have a month to go, You will kill 25 K.
Hard Tour of Watopia stage 4 and OS Week 2 2x18’ SS... all with 6 Straight days of running
@John Culberson Strong work!
Well, it isn't Thursday and this isn't the prescribed workout but ...
trying to get that zwiftpower ranking below 500. Got a ways to go. Also double XP!
The weekend was interesting. All day in the yard on Sat made me much more tired than I anticipated. But, the entire veg garden is in and all bedding plants planted.
Got up early today and did the Tour of Watopia ride rather than CnC just because I am a whore for double XP and I did not want to wait until 7:50. It does not look great but it felt even worse. Legs were tired and the watts felt higher than they looked. My HR wasn't up so I am not sure of the cause. Overall, 102 TSS for 1:15 is not too bad, at least I had something for the guy at the finish line. Anyways tomorrow is another day.
@Ralph Moore I was right behind you at 9:40CDT. While I earned 106TSS in 1:15, I set a new 2020 1 hour Power mark and felt strong. My interpretation is that I need to focus on longer ABP rides. I really appreciate you starting MOS. I believe that remaining in OS provides an excellent structure for the 2020 season. I am slowly building fitness on 7-9hrs/week and controlling my TSB to maintain immune function. Once some target races start to appear, I’ll be in a good position to run a season plan past @Coach Patrick
@John Culberson Strong! The intensity of the OS workouts makes some weeks harder and then some seem easier. 6 years in and I still can't always figure out why some days feel easy and others are a real struggle.
MOS week 2 workouts coming up.
@John Katsoudas @Brenda Ross @Dave Tallo @Larry Peters check in and give us an update on your progress/situation...
@Ralph Moore just sent you a friend request on FB. I post all my workouts on IG /FB/Strava but usually in my stories.
If you wish to follow along you can find me
Facebook
Insta
Strava
I am on mark for my April 25, 25km trail race
Nice work @Ralph Moore and @John Culberson!
Last week was a bit of a mixed bag for me:
Highs:
Low's:
I feel fine today but I will definitely be on high alert for any early sign of illness or slow recovery. I may swap today's z5 repeats for a steady TRP run instead, and see how I feel.
Here's last week's training. All in all, very happy with it other than yesterday. I'm trying to keep the daily volume down to 2 hrs or less. With my wife working from home all day and both kids trying to do online school, any more than that just feels wrong at this time.
OK, now this is pissing me off... I raced the KISS race this AM in Zwift to be like the big kids. I felt like I did pretty well and was in the middle of the pack of the "C" riders. But my results do not show up in Zwift Power. The workout got sent to Strava and I am on the list under the race but not in the "C" category of finishers.
@Scott Giljum @Tim Sullivan What happened? did I somehow get disqualified and how do I find out why?
Well, anyways, that was my Tuesday Workout so far. And it is gonna rain. Wah Wah Wah.
just plugging along. I think it's a test week for me, and took a full rest day before the bike test, but 'achieved' a 5-watt lower ftp than where I started last month. I took another rest day to lead up to this afternoon's run test: this will be the first 'straight up' 5k I've run in maybe 7 years, and I'm curious - in the good and bad way - of what the damage will be. (My run has gone to sh*t over the last 4 years, despite taking a new turnaround strategy every year.)
@Dave Tallo I find that all of my tests can vary significantly based on how I feel on that day, recovery status, and the phase of the moon. Just keep plugging at it.
I am in Bike jail after being so excited to install my new Quark that I took my bottom bracket apart only to find out that I needed BB30 bearings which I did not have and my LBS had to order. They are (amazingly) still open but down on staff and I won't get my bike back until next Wed or Thurs. :(
So it will be a run and yoga weekend for me.
The good news is that I finally showed up in zwiftpower for that race that I did Tuesday and I got second in the "C" group. Clearly that does not say much for the other C racers that day. At least it make me feel better.
@Ralph Moore did your race ever show up in Zwift power? Bummer!
I love that you are making a goal of improving your Zwift power ranking. I have focused on that periodically in the past and think it is a fun motivator.
I am slowly rebuilding run durability. Happy to be making progress. I developed a little bit of an injury this winter, so I’m trying to be very cautious. I’ve run 35 days straight and I’m up to about 20 minutes per day. Just have to be sure to do Pre-Hab for feet and lower legs 2* per week.
also got a nice 10 minute all time power record on the bike Saturday. I am not at my all time best bike fitness, but hopefully not too far off.
ive got some major work to do on body comp. but hoping daily running will help, especially as I can go longer safely.
keep up there great work everyone!!
@Larry Peters yes, late in the day, my results showed up and I got a silver trophy. I thought I did pretty well but that was a surprise. ALL TIME 10 min power!! AWESOME JOB! clearly you ARE at your all time best 10 min bike fitness.
My training week has not been the best. My run is pretty solid and got in a couple of hour long runs that are pretty much where they need to be. Getting out in the early AM while it is still cool helps.
The bike, however, has been a trial. I got my new Quark last week and went to install it myself (dumb, I know) only to find out that it needed a different bottom bracket. By that time, I was too far in to put it back together so I dropped it at the LBS and they have had to order parts but I SHOULD have it back on the trainer tomorrow. I had them change from a compact set of chain rings to a 52 / 36 while they have it. That way I will have 2 options to choose from depending on if I am climbing hills. I really did not realize what a significant part of my identity revolves around being able to ride.
Hopefully, i get it back tomorrow in time to squeeze a ride in the afternoon, Week 3 Thursday (or maybe Tuesday's workout depending on my mood)
OK, so yesterday did not go as I had hoped.
Some background: We have been having some wireless issues with slow internet using Google Wifi. While My bike was in the shop and I would no need to be riding SEEMED like a good opportunity to work on the internet in the house and run some cat 6 backbone wire between the wireless access points and hopefully increase the overall speed.
BAD IDEA! first I messed something up so the wioreless was worse, then when I put it back like it was, it did not get any better. I fooled with it for most of the weekend and got it kind of working again so my wife could ride her peloton.
Yesterday I got my bike back from the LBS where I had taken it to have the Quark installed. I had removed the chain with I took the old crankset off and had to put a new, clean chain back on it and I slapped it on the trainer. Then I realized I needed to adjust the front deraileur to change front rings. No problem, I have a smart trainer, I will just do the workout in ERG mode and not have to change gears. Oh, and did I mention I moved my shoe cleats.
Anyways, the ride did not go as I had hoped and there are lots of reasons why that might be the case. I will sort through them this weekend.
Notice the rough start and the blow up at the end. It was that kind of day. Tomorrow will be better
Got the bike back together Sat and fixed my shifting issue, Due to my low SAU balance, I missed the team morning rides and I decided to do a Zwift workout in the afternoon. MAJOR Erg Funkiness. I tried Zwift 4 different times before I gave up and did a Sufferfext video. Not sure what was going on but I did not have the mental bandwith for it that late in the day and bailed.
Sunday Was better. I rebooted everything and the trainer seemed to be responding to the terrain as expected. New cranks are fine. Quark pairing to my Garmin appears a bit fluky just yet buyt that does not matter indoors. Did the Cruise and crush for 70 min for a TSS of 100. Felt pretty good till I started cramping near the end. I was off of the main pack at about 30 min in but that is not uncommon for me.
Looking to go into OS Week 4 this week with Tuesday's workout tonight or tomorrow. We will see how that goes. I am going to do some longer riding on the weekends because I have been working on short term power for the past year with little endurance work.
The only problem with the Hang on ride and CnC is that I get so hammered early trying to stay with the group that I am out of matches by an hour in. I need to work on longer pacing and that is NOT how those rides go.
@Ralph Moore : I've switched my focus to "longer pacing." My ability to build my FTP is superior to my ability to maintain a IF of .85 over 2 hours. That said, my 6x15' at .85 with 5' RI on Sat was interrupted by a brutal few minutes of super threshold in the middle while Zwift took control of ERG mode. It sure made .85 seem easy once the storm passed.
Monday went pretty well, I rode instead of running just because. Trying to work on pacing and picking up at the end of a ride.