@Jeff - your mental toughness is far greater than mine. April? @Ann - I've been thinking about getting my T time for swimming also. I'm glad you posted that - it's all I needed!
3 X 10 (4') - as a HR athlete, I met the mph/cadence and perceived effort. But HR was Z2 and Z3. Although I could've pushed harder, I'm still recovering from Tuesday and Wednesday.
We'll see how my biking really is on Saturday at my first 41k TT!
Great ride today, feeling like my mojo is coming back. I think it's the 10 minutes of metal pre-mounting. Nice warm up around .83 then hit the main set:
10' @ .98 10' @ .991 10' @ 1.02
Not sure if it's more sleep or different pacing that has me feeling better. Probably a little of both. Must admit though, I'm getting sick of the trainer.
I had the same thoughts as Kevin today. I was wanting to hit all three intervals a little hard. 3 x 12 didn't look bad on paper. Anything is better than 2x20 at this point. Anyhow the legs didn't cooperate. 3 x 12 @ 268(.991), 264(.979), and 262(.97).
I had been feeling a little fried, but have perked back up the last couple of weeks for some reason. With the OS winding down, and "only" 10' intervals, decided I had to push a little harder this morning. Felt great.
Was proud of myself for fitting an extra run today at lunch. Didn't think it would affect the bike too badly because of the few hours in between, but it did. Was a bit weak on the intervals, but I was in the right range. (0.98, .97, .96) Bring on the rest.
I guess it's reassuring I wasn't the only one who didn't have a stellar bike today. The numbers look good, but it's BS compared to what I felt like. Like others, I felt more ambitious before the bike than when I got on it. I let kids etc distract me and ended up taking a minute stop in the middle of the 3rd rep. Not proud. Mojo failure. Needed another ounce of toughness to get through today and I let stuff get to me. Oh well. Saturday is another day. :-)
12 @ 264 (1.04) 12 @ 266 (1.04) 12 @ 266 (1.04) with a 1 min break in middle
Did Saturdays WO today. Taking Saturday off as a complete recovery day in prep for Sundays 90 min run. Did the week 18 OS swim hack first then came home and hit the pain cave.
2:30's I ended up only doing one and then breaking them into 1:30 and 1:00. 120% goal is 245 and it went like this: 2:30=245 1:30=253, 252, 255, 258 1:00=I tried to push these over the top:256, 277, 256, 260
Thursday's bike was definitely tougher than Tuesday's this week. Managed to hold onto my .98, but HR was down and legs were protesting. Super glad there was no zone 3 running after that! Happy to have the rest day tomorrow. Although maybe I will go do the 1000m TT since I have been swimming twice since Sept. (both over Christmas holidays). We'll see how that goes. Ha!
Keep up the good work people!
---Ann.
@Ann - got in my 1000m TT @ 16:18. Not far from where I would normally be and I have only put in about 20K meters since Jan 1! Good ROI, how about you?
Did the 2x20 today. I tried to do an impromptu FTP test but failed about 12:30 into the second interval and had to rest for a minute. I still was able to find 42 minutes of file with 3 minutes easy where I ended up around 276 so my FTP is definitely on the up.
I found it to be windy and cold out early. I hit the run about 7 a.m. soaking wet with sweat from the bike. Bike went well but was brutal. Complet the 5 X 2.5 on target and also did a total of 35 minutes in Z3 (including the WU.) Both NP and IF improved over Thurs so still coming back on line here………..
went to the Cave for this brick. found out QUARQ NOT WORKING! uggghhh, damn expensive toys. tried to 'find' it, no difference. tried to 'pair' it, no luck. changed the battery, no difference. DASHES in 'Watts' and 'Cad' just staring at me. errrr.......
decided to do the workout based on pace (have noticed that a trainerMPH of about 20.5-21 was giving me around 115%-130%FTP in the previous weeks) and HR. Numbers aside, is this an OK substitute? Is the relation of speed to watts in a consistent environment like a trainer in a basement somewhat reliable?
so, based on that frustrating start, I still had a very tough (good) workout.
20' hi cadence warmup, spd around 17 mph 5x2.5' z5/20.6-21mph 25' z3/17+mph heart rates did correlate well with these efforts.
20' brick run in the rain, ez up the hills, HMP over and on the flats.
@Chris - I've been waiting for someone to correlate Z4 and Z3 with the speed and FTP variables. Thanks - good work!
My 41K TT got postponed till next weekend because of weather. So, I really hammered the bike wko today and hit all intervals.
While I was biking in my pain cave, I heard on the radio that the weather tomorrow is going to be perfect. So, I skipped today's run and instead signed up for a local indoor tri for tomorrow. Although its only a 100m swim indoors, it's 10mi biking outside and a 2mi run. So, I'll get the scheduled run workout tomorrow with a great warm-up!
@ Joe - just keep in mind a couple of things (which, I'm sure you have)....1) those are 'on the trainer' speed readings and 2) two different athletes would have to have similar FTP's to be able to share this 'trainerSpeed'/RPE correlation to Watts/RPE.
Any WSM can chime in and correct me if I'm wrong...
in the meantime, waiting to hear back from Quarq. Not too scared about it. Don't plan on missing any workouts cuz of it, will just get it fixed ASAP.
I realized today that I will soon have to ride my bike with my eyes open! All this suffering in my basement has me largely just putting my head down, closing my eyes, and counting the seconds until the interval is done (with occasional peaks at the time). Ha! Today's 5x2.5s were no exception.
Please tell me there is nothing this hard in the regular season plans. :-)
Mixed bag today... only a total of 6.5 minutes of the 120% stuff, but did get 42 min of Z3... the 25 minutes of Z3 run felt reasonably comfortable. But got both done for the prescribed time and... I feel good.
I must confess that I am feeling like I am more-or-less done with "blasting myself to pieces" workout efforts for awhile... I probably could have got all the 2.5s done, but at this point I know for sure that I would have ended the bike after about 50 minutes and than ran for maybe 10 minutes... and then maybe get the 3X1s tomorrow done but no way run for the full 90 minutes...
@ Joe - just keep in mind a couple of things (which, I'm sure you have)....1) those are 'on the trainer' speed readings and 2) two different athletes would have to have similar FTP's to be able to share this 'trainerSpeed'/RPE correlation to Watts/RPE.
Any WSM can chime in and correct me if I'm wrong...
in the meantime, waiting to hear back from Quarq. Not too scared about it. Don't plan on missing any workouts cuz of it, will just get it fixed ASAP.
While not a WSM, I would definitely caution against putting too much stock in speed on the trainer. I have found that a lot has to do with how the tires are pumped and the amount of pressure applied to the rear wheel. I guess if you keep the bike on there and always keep the tire pressure the same for every workout thne yes, I would assume this would work. But if you are off and on the trainer I personally would see the non-power data as garbage when comparing workouts to workouts. I have seen the same power numbers give me different MPH depending on what I stated above. just my opinion though. Still think it's a decent guide, just not the bible.
@Dan you are a monster! Hell F'n Yeah! @Shaughn, crushing it as always! @Henry, great ride and cherish those runs with the pup, wish I still had mine. @CMart, you're an animal. Nothing else to say. Way to get it done Chris, Jon, Ann, Art and Kevin.
Loved todays workout. No idea why but been feeling much better recently. Personal opinion is that maybe 20 weeks is a bit much for us cold weather folk but we need to make do with what we have.
My early workout was cut off when the little lady decided that we were going to look for bedroom furniture. Well there went my Speed Concept. Maybe in a couple months? Quick nap then had to go pick up my neighbors from the airport then workout commenced WAY later than wanted.
WU then 15' @ .83.
Went with 6 x 2' @ 1.20. Yeah I owe you all 30", bill me for it. Loved the 2' interval.
Then knocked out 2 sets of 15' @ .84ish.
Off the bike, then had to turn the grill on, do a couple things for the fam and off I went. Only time for 3 miles @ ;7:40ish. Nice run in the dark with my headlamp. Felt glorious. Wasn't killing the pace. Should have run a little quicker but was a little tentative but felt like I could have ran for a long time.
Glad to see everyone really getting it done. Only a couple weeks left folks.
I had to ride on Friday this week. I only had a little daylight left after work, but took it outside for a spin. Unstructured workout. Ended up getting in 55 minutes at .956. It felt really good for the mind and soul to be outside. Got a short run in yesterday before everyone got up. Trying to decide if I want to venture out in the rain for todays run.
@ Tucker - noted. I was (or...am, depending on when I get the Quarq back up and running) going on my observations over the last couple of weeks. 'Seemed' like a pretty consistent correlation during those workouts. Not spot on, though. I understand your points. If anything, I felt like I was over-reaching on the intervals. But, if all I had was HR/RPE, I would've been doing the same kind of thinking. It was just an extra little confidence knowing that the mph(trainer) was reading much like it did (based on effort) when I had Watts info.
When training with watts, the game is 'I know where I'm at'.
When training with HR/RPE/Spd(?), the game is 'I think I know where I'm at'.
Had to just put my head down close my eyes and push through the 2.5's yesterday. I don't know if I am just riding to my limits, or my body and legs are just programmed to ride at a certain wattage, but I continue to be shocked when I download my data and see how consistant my numbers are.
Todays intervals were 305, 303, 304, 303, 302 I proceded to struggle with 30 min at 85% legs were waving the white flag, just could not get the power numbers up to where I usually complete these workouts.
I immediately headed out the door for the 20 min brick, with shorts and a tee shirt as well as my racing flats, for the 1st time in months. Did not where my Garmin because it was a short brick, whish I had because I felt like I was running faster than I ever have. Must have been the warm weather, what ever it was, I want more of it !!
I was able to do the workout and hit all targets yesterday. Broke up the 80-85% into 2x15(2”RI).
5X2.5@ 122%/122%/122%/122%/123% 2x15@ 86%/87%
The past 2 weeks have been a struggle. I picked up a new saddle, and it's taken so long to get back to my power I had previously, and I think I'm still a little low. The new saddle is "taller" then the old one. The shop measured before and after to adjust the position to be the same as the old saddle, but on my first workout with it I could tell it was too high. I moved it down a little, but it was too far, then moved it up, then down, until I think it feels good. It's amazing that a few millimeters can make a huge difference.
It's amazing that a few millimeters can make a huge difference.
Very true, don't hang on the power meter too much after making position adjustments. The power will come back it just takes a few weeks. Until then don't run yourself into a hole trying to hit every power goal
It's amazing that a few millimeters can make a huge difference.
Very true, don't hang on the power meter too much after making position adjustments. The power will come back it just takes a few weeks. Until then don't run yourself into a hole trying to hit every power goal
Thanks for the reassurance. Glad to know that it’s normal. I’m guessing that I’m using slightly different muscles that can be just as strong, they just need to take learn to take over.
My plan was to try 3 different saddles, but after dealing with the adjustment period, I’ll probably just stick with this one. As long as it feels good when I finally get outside to ride.
Did a 4 mile running race yesterday, so I wondered if doing the Vo2 work today would be possible. I was prepared to be happy with modest power numbers in the 115% range if that's all I had. Ended up with 228, 226, 226, 229, 228 (target 230). Then got 22' @ 0.80. Cut it short @ an hour because I did some mountain biking yesterday, and I figured that could substitute for that extra 15 min! I'm not a fan of long solo workouts on the trainer. Finally had stopped raining here so I went outside for a run. Ran 30' @ brisk pace. Rain started again and I got soaked the second half! Running today felt easier than the biking. Glad for a rest day tomorrow. I'm kind of sorry that the OS is coming to a close. It has been some great training.
I'm buying a superb mountain bike. It's a Pivot Mach 4, XT components. Gonna really mix it up this year with bike, run, mtn bike, tri, and maybe even an adventure race!
Comments
@Ann - I've been thinking about getting my T time for swimming also. I'm glad you posted that - it's all I needed!
3 X 10 (4') - as a HR athlete, I met the mph/cadence and perceived effort. But HR was Z2 and Z3. Although I could've pushed harder, I'm still recovering from Tuesday and Wednesday.
We'll see how my biking really is on Saturday at my first 41k TT!
10' @ .98
10' @ .991
10' @ 1.02
Not sure if it's more sleep or different pacing that has me feeling better. Probably a little of both. Must admit though, I'm getting sick of the trainer.
10 Warm up
10 @ 1.06
10 @ 1.03
10 @ 1.03
100% = 243w. Results (NP; Mean HR):
1: 245w; 156
2: 252w; 160
3: 251w; 163
Half marathon next weekend!
12 @ 264 (1.04)
12 @ 266 (1.04)
12 @ 266 (1.04) with a 1 min break in middle
Did the week 18 OS swim hack first then came home and hit the pain cave.
2:30's I ended up only doing one and then breaking them into 1:30 and 1:00. 120% goal is 245 and it went like this:
2:30=245
1:30=253, 252, 255, 258
1:00=I tried to push these over the top:256, 277, 256, 260
Then road for 39:34 @ IF .82
Entire workout:
Duration: 1:15:29
Work: 707 kJ
TSS: 97.8 (intensity factor 0.884)
Norm Power: 181
@Ann - got in my 1000m TT @ 16:18. Not far from where I would normally be and I have only put in about 20K meters since Jan 1! Good ROI, how about you?
Entire workout (251 watts):
Duration: 1:02:31 (1:03:42)
Work: 941 kJ
TSS: 95 (intensity factor 0.967)
Norm Power: 263
VI: 1.05
Pw:HR: 10.44%
Pa:HR: 9.73%
Distance: 26.914 mi
Elevation Gain: 0 ft
Elevation Loss: 20 ft
Grade: -0.0 % (-25 ft)
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 417 251 watts
Heart Rate: 60 173 159 bpm
Cadence: 30 125 85 rpm
Speed: 0 31.6 25.8 mph
Pace 1:54 0:00 2:20 min/mi
Hub Torque: 0 17 6 lb-in
Altitude: 932 959 944 ft
Crank Torque: 0 830 249 lb-in
Temperature: 66.2 71.6 69.5 Fahrenheit
RUN:
connect.garmin.com/activity/71342316
decided to do the workout based on pace (have noticed that a trainerMPH of about 20.5-21 was giving me around 115%-130%FTP in the previous weeks) and HR. Numbers aside, is this an OK substitute? Is the relation of speed to watts in a consistent environment like a trainer in a basement somewhat reliable?
so, based on that frustrating start, I still had a very tough (good) workout.
20' hi cadence warmup, spd around 17 mph
5x2.5' z5/20.6-21mph
25' z3/17+mph
heart rates did correlate well with these efforts.
20' brick run in the rain, ez up the hills, HMP over and on the flats.
Felt great after yesterday's hard rest :-) 5 x 2.5's right on target with a 30 minute run with the dog right after.
My 41K TT got postponed till next weekend because of weather. So, I really hammered the bike wko today and hit all intervals.
While I was biking in my pain cave, I heard on the radio that the weather tomorrow is going to be perfect. So, I skipped today's run and instead signed up for a local indoor tri for tomorrow. Although its only a 100m swim indoors, it's 10mi biking outside and a 2mi run. So, I'll get the scheduled run workout tomorrow with a great warm-up!
I'm a day off, so did the Saturday brick yesterday. 367 target, and I hit all 2.5s at or above, then ran 25:00 at 6:40. Felt great.
Today I've already done the Sunday run, and am going to attempt 3x10 on the bike later so I can rest tomorrow.
Any WSM can chime in and correct me if I'm wrong...
in the meantime, waiting to hear back from Quarq. Not too scared about it. Don't plan on missing any workouts cuz of it, will just get it fixed ASAP.
Please tell me there is nothing this hard in the regular season plans. :-)
---Ann.
I must confess that I am feeling like I am more-or-less done with "blasting myself to pieces" workout efforts for awhile... I probably could have got all the 2.5s done, but at this point I know for sure that I would have ended the bike after about 50 minutes and than ran for maybe 10 minutes... and then maybe get the 3X1s tomorrow done but no way run for the full 90 minutes...
18' warmup
5 x 2.5' @ 278/281/278/279/276W (target 278), HR 166/167/168/168/167
32' @ 186W (0.803), cadence 88, HR 157
Total 75', TSS 91.7 (0.85)
Skipped today's run because I'm planning to run a 5K race tomorrow and wanted to save the legs.
While not a WSM, I would definitely caution against putting too much stock in speed on the trainer. I have found that a lot has to do with how the tires are pumped and the amount of pressure applied to the rear wheel. I guess if you keep the bike on there and always keep the tire pressure the same for every workout thne yes, I would assume this would work. But if you are off and on the trainer I personally would see the non-power data as garbage when comparing workouts to workouts. I have seen the same power numbers give me different MPH depending on what I stated above. just my opinion though. Still think it's a decent guide, just not the bible.
@Shaughn, crushing it as always!
@Henry, great ride and cherish those runs with the pup, wish I still had mine.
@CMart, you're an animal. Nothing else to say.
Way to get it done Chris, Jon, Ann, Art and Kevin.
Loved todays workout. No idea why but been feeling much better recently. Personal opinion is that maybe 20 weeks is a bit much for us cold weather folk but we need to make do with what we have.
My early workout was cut off when the little lady decided that we were going to look for bedroom furniture. Well there went my Speed Concept. Maybe in a couple months? Quick nap then had to go pick up my neighbors from the airport then workout commenced WAY later than wanted.
WU then 15' @ .83.
Went with 6 x 2' @ 1.20. Yeah I owe you all 30", bill me for it. Loved the 2' interval.
Then knocked out 2 sets of 15' @ .84ish.
Off the bike, then had to turn the grill on, do a couple things for the fam and off I went. Only time for 3 miles @ ;7:40ish. Nice run in the dark with my headlamp. Felt glorious. Wasn't killing the pace. Should have run a little quicker but was a little tentative but felt like I could have ran for a long time.
Glad to see everyone really getting it done. Only a couple weeks left folks.
When training with watts, the game is 'I know where I'm at'.
When training with HR/RPE/Spd(?), the game is 'I think I know where I'm at'.
At this point, this is what I got!
Keep up that good work up there in Jersey!
Had to just put my head down close my eyes and push through the 2.5's yesterday. I don't know if I am just riding to my limits, or my body and legs are just programmed to ride at a certain wattage, but I continue to be shocked when I download my data and see how consistant my numbers are.
Todays intervals were 305, 303, 304, 303, 302 I proceded to struggle with 30 min at 85% legs were waving the white flag, just could not get the power numbers up to where I usually complete these workouts.
I immediately headed out the door for the 20 min brick, with shorts and a tee shirt as well as my racing flats, for the 1st time in months. Did not where my Garmin because it was a short brick, whish I had because I felt like I was running faster than I ever have. Must have been the warm weather, what ever it was, I want more of it !!
5X2.5@
122%/122%/122%/122%/123%
2x15@
86%/87%
The past 2 weeks have been a struggle. I picked up a new saddle, and it's taken so long to get back to my power I had previously, and I think I'm still a little low. The new saddle is "taller" then the old one. The shop measured before and after to adjust the position to be the same as the old saddle, but on my first workout with it I could tell it was too high. I moved it down a little, but it was too far, then moved it up, then down, until I think it feels good. It's amazing that a few millimeters can make a huge difference.
My run felt great!
Very true, don't hang on the power meter too much after making position adjustments. The power will come back it just takes a few weeks. Until then don't run yourself into a hole trying to hit every power goal
Thanks for the reassurance. Glad to know that it’s normal. I’m guessing that I’m using slightly different muscles that can be just as strong, they just need to take learn to take over.
My plan was to try 3 different saddles, but after dealing with the adjustment period, I’ll probably just stick with this one. As long as it feels good when I finally get outside to ride.
I'm buying a superb mountain bike. It's a Pivot Mach 4, XT components. Gonna really mix it up this year with bike, run, mtn bike, tri, and maybe even an adventure race!