Ironman long bike training - trainer/outside combo?
Hi all,
Getting ready in another week or so to start the 12 week IM plan to do IM Canada at the end of August. I am hoping to get some good advice about the weekly long bike ride. I have a Computrainer in my basement, but no powermeter on my bike. What do you think about doing the first part of those long bike rides on the Computrainer (say the first 60-90 minutes) when the z4/z5 intervals are? and then simply going upstairs and hopping on the regular bike to head outside to finish the ride? (maybe a 5 minute break) That way, I know I am doing the right amount of "work" (because I can read the watts and they don't lie!) and then the 70-80% stuff I do by HR / feel for the rest of the ride.
Your insights are appreciated!
---Ann.
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Agreed. I'm doing the same now. Hitting up the main intervals on the computrainer, and then hopping outside on the road bike for whatever Z3 work I can fit into my schedule.
Anything I can do to not be on the trainer is a good thing...I do my Wednesday sessions on the trainer and i find that these hour long sessions are almost as hard mentally as the longer saturday rides...As soon as it got nice outside my brain wanted to be outside. Having said that, I did just recently have to do a 3 hour 15 min session on a Saturday that was rainy. Not fun. But wanted to get the work done and this was my only option.
For my outside interval (z4 work) I base this on terrain more than any prescribed time. I mostly use a 12 mile training loop and will do laps at various intensities. Basically, when i'm outside I try and get as much work done as possible. Zone 4 or 5 will take me about 33 min/lap. Zone 2 will take me about 43 min. Its also easier for me to stay in zone 3 or 4 outside simply because riding hard is more fun than riding easy. IMO. Outside there is also so much more to focus on versus sitting on a trainer focused on how how much your legs hurt.
The other thing I notice about my tri bike (Cervelo P2) is that it feels totally different on the trainer than when I'm outside. I'm much more comfortable in the aero bars outside compared to when my bike is locked in the trainer.
I guess, I would have to say, if you can figure out how to do the EN WORK outside why do it inside. Its more fun outside.... just my .02
You've probably learned by now what Z4 feels like. You can push the start of a ride outdoors based on your perceived rate of exertion which you have been programming with all those hours on the trainer. The exact watts and times aren't as important as getting your legs good and worked in the first half of the ride.
One day a week of focused work indoors on the trainer seems enough to me when summer's as short as it is in the Great White North. Enhjoy the fresh air and sunshine (when it's there!)
And Al, up here in the GWN we are still waiting for the nice weather to show up! Rain, rain, and more rain and still very cool. Not that nice! Reminds me of Vancouver, BC where I grew up!
---Ann.